Swim club in racial protest sold at bankruptcy auction

[Robbien]

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

The Huntingdon Valley swimming club where a racial-discrimination controversy erupted a year ago was sold Thursday in a bankruptcy-court auction.

After several hours of competition between five bidders, Valley Club went for $1.46 million to the Congregation Beth Solomon of Northeast Philadelphia.

An attorney for the synagogue did not return a call about the proposed use of the 10.5-acre property, which operated as a private swimming club for 55 years before going into bankruptcy in November over legal bills and other liabilities.

The club's woes began June 29, when 56 black and Latino children from Philadelphia's Creative Steps day camp visited the club as the first of what was to be a series of arranged swimming trips. But after regulars of the club, which had no black members at the time, complained, the deal with the day camp was revoked, a $1,950 check was returned, and a national racial protest ensued.



Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/93728129.html?cmpid=15585797

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What goes around comes around.

[Bette Noir]

1. I wonder how much Arizona will go for, at the bankruptcy sale?

[Tx4obama]

2. Good one! n/t

[Tansy_Gold]

3. GMTA -- and I'm in Arizona n/t

[Lost4words]

4. Sometimes evil gets its due! And it is sweet, like a first kiss.

[tomm2thumbs]

5. going to keep an eye how this story unfolds

putting it into the hands of a congregation could simply be a workaround - but will have to wait and see. They don't have mention of it on their website, that I could find. http://www.cbscommunitycenter.com/

especially when the article said 'The U.S. Justice Department had requested before the auction that special consideration be given to any bidder planning to use the pool as a public accommodation. Dershaw said no objections were lodged to the sale to Congregation Beth Solomon, though the synagogue's plans for the site remain unclear.'

sounds like it will not be a public accommodation

[Robbien]

6. Apparently the swim club was badly run for years

Bleeding money for over a decade. The board sent out over two thousand requests for help from its members and less than 40 people responded, most of those saying close it.

[Egnever]

7. Hah!

and a tiny amount of justice is served.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. K&R

We must be vigilant so that this sort of thing does not continue to be perpetuated generation after generation.