The following is unedited article via Philly.com:
Three residents in a 55-and-over condo community in New Jersey have filed a lawsuit challenging a change in the complex’s swimming pool policy that limits the times men and women can swim together.
According to NJ.com, the 376-home community, A Country Place in Lakewood, recently changed the rules to accommodate the majority of Orthodox Jewish homeowners.
Orthodox Jews don’t allow men and women to swim together, the website reported. The new rules limit the time men and women can swim together to between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday through Friday and all day Saturdays.
Two non-Orthodox homeowners in the community – Marie Curto and Steve Lusardi – were each issued a $50 fine for violating policy this summer after they refused to get out of the pool when co-ed swimming hours ended.
They complained. In a letter to Lusardi, the condo association defended its policy.
“ACP is a private association and as per counsel we are well within our rights to serve the vast majority of the community,” the letter said. “You are inconsiderate of the majority and wish for minority rule. That is not our community.”
The two along with Lusardi’s wife, Diana, sued.
The Lusardis, who have reportedly listed their home for sale, claim they have been “harassed, intimidated and have received threats of violence within their community due to their complaints regarding the pool,” NJ.com reported.
A hearing is set for Nov. 4 in Toms River.
Airlines are facing similar issues.
Several New York to Israel flights have been delayed or disrupted after Orthodox men have requested they not be seated next to women and women have refused to move claiming the request is sexist.
The pool lawsuit says the new rules are discriminatory and violate provisions of the federal Fair Housing Act and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination.
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2 Responses
“Airlines are facing similar issues.”
Its bad enough that anti-Semitic sites are attempting to defame our community, does YWN need to join them?
What comparison is there to a privately owned condo organization, where over 250 of the 370 members voted to reserve hours for separate swimming at the pool, to the lone nut who holds up an entire flight because he wants to force upon others his personal chumra?
The Country Place Board has very nicely included hours for mixed swimming despite the fact that those demanding this option constitute a small minority of the association. Indeed, all of the neighbors are respectful of one another…except for the couple of bad apples who initiated this lawsuit. They will soon sell the units they bought for $30,000 for close to $300,000 and buy the grandest homes available in a different senior development. So lets not misdirect our rachmunus.
The Condo or Homeowners’ Association clearly is within its rights to enact rules in accordance with its bylaws that would restrict coed swimming hours. A private association is NJ is not subject to the state’s equal rights laws but at the same time, they could be at risk of losing some tax benefits by gender discrimination. An airline is an entity holding itself out as a business of public accommodation and is subject to the anti discrimination rules. Anyone making an issue or fighting with a flight attendant over the issue of seating next to women on a plane should be thrown off the plane.