A group of Orthodox Jewish families have filed a federal lawsuit against a Hunter Lodge, Catskills hotel, alleging religious discrimination and wrongful eviction from the property on Shabbos last year. The families, who had planned a peaceful weekend retreat from July 14 to July 16, 2023, are accusing the hotel management violated their civil rights and religious freedoms.
In preparation for their weekend getaway, one of the Jewish women contacted the hotel on July 13, 2023, according to court documents. She spoke with the hotel manager, Jackie Gordon, to ensure the hotel could accommodate their religious needs. The now-plaintiff explained that the group, comprising 30 to 40 guests, including many children, were Shabbos-observant Jews from Lakewood and Toms River, New Jersey. This meant they could not use electronics, including keycard door locks, motion-activated faucets and toilets, radios, and telephones, from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.
Encouraged by the manager’s assurances that the hotel could meet their requirements, the families booked a suite-style chalet and several standard rooms. The chalets, advertised as soundproof and isolated from the main hotel building, were expected to provide the necessary privacy and facilities for the group’s needs, including kosher food preparations and space for davening.
The families arrived separately on the afternoon of Friday, July 14, checked in and settled into their rooms, anticipating a peaceful weekend.
The evening started quietly, with Maariv followed by a Shabbos meal in the chalet. According to the lawsuit, the group maintained a respectful and calm demeanor the entire time. However, around 8:00 p.m., the manager approached the group, asking them to be quieter despite no indications of loud or disruptive behavior.
On Shabbos morning, the families engaged in quiet activities, including davening at an offsite location and children playing cards in a sitting area. Despite the calm atmosphere, the manager repeatedly complained about noise and supervision, which the plaintiffs argue was unfounded and harassing.
The situation escalated after the Shabbos day meal when the hotel suddenly demanded the entire group vacate the premises by 4:00 p.m., citing noise complaints. The plaintiffs assert that the hotel’s actions were baseless and discriminatory. When they sought to negotiate, explaining their inability to leave before sundown due to Shabbos, the hotel called the police.
A significant police presence, including town officers, county deputies, and state troopers, arrived at the hotel. The lawsuit claims the officers, acting under the influence of the hotel management and with undue force, intimidated the families and threatened arrest. The police allegedly failed to protect the plaintiffs’ rights, instead assisting in their eviction.
Unable to use vehicles or electronics, the families were forced to walk to a nearby property in the heat. Some parents and children, including those with special needs, were confined to a tourist trolley-bus, causing further distress and Shabbos violations.
On Motzei Shabbos, the families returned to the hotel to pack their belongings – under police supervision. They were allowed only 20 minutes to gather their things, further adding to their distress.
In a statement to the press following the incident, the hotel’s CEO, Peter Twachtman, claimed that the decision to evict the group was due to multiple complaints about noise and unsupervised children. However, the plaintiffs argue these claims are false and were used to justify discriminatory actions.
The plaintiffs allege that the hotel’s actions were intentional, discriminatory, and in violation of their civil and religious rights. Their lawsuit now seeks compensatory and punitive damages for the emotional distress, humiliation, and violation of religious freedoms experienced by the families.
The lawsuit cites multiple violations, including the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendments, New York Executive Law, and New York Civil Rights Law. The plaintiffs also accuse the hotel management of intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress, among other claims.
If you had any similar experiences with this hotel, you may contact Jaroslawicz & Jaros, PLLC at 212-227-2780, or by emailing [email protected]
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4 Responses
Why did they wait a year to sue?
I was not there that weekend, so my comments are based on several other weekends when I stayed at hotels.
Our community KAH shows up to these weekends with (in their minds) an incredible number of children. In every single instance, and again, speaking only from my own experience, the children were running all over the place despite the parents’ best efforts to keep them confined to a certain area or keep them quieter. The hotel managers always complained vociferously. It is not my place to judge whether they are right or wrong. But we do need more awareness, and we have to figure out a way to deal with the issue in a constructive fashion. For example, each parent should speak to the children clearly beforehand, and explain exactly what is expected of them. Remind them again upon arrival. It would also be helpful for the parents to walk the children through the facility and show them where they can play and where they can run and where they should not run or play. It is also very helpful to bring along lots of age appropriate toys.
Another thing that would be very helpful is to assign one person in advance who will communicate with the hotel management person. This person should have good peoples skills, be able to stay calm under pressure, and have some experience with defusing tense situations. Most of the hotel managers are not looking for trouble. They want to make money, they don’t want to kick us out. (Again, I wasn’t there, speaking from my own experience……) most of these confrontations are precipitated by complaints from other guests of the hotel. They just want these complaints to go away. What we need to do is communicate clearly and calmly with them and ask them how we can make the situation OK. Reacting to the management in a confrontational way is almost guaranteed to lead to a bad outcome. Hatzlacha!!!!!!
Why did they wait a year to sue?
Good question. This lodge seems to market itself as an upscale romantic couples venue but the plaintiffs claim the management offered to accommodate what they clearly described as a family event. While the noise level of their group which included young kids may have been reasonable for a family event, it might have been too loud for some other guests who expected a quieter venue on a weekend away from their own kids.
There are always two sides to these types of stories and the antisemitism claims may well be legitimate but I’m hoping YWN reports on the how the lodge’s lawyers respond to the lawsuit.
I think these are same “quiet” people who complained about Spirit antisemites who made them wear masks despite them already having masks hanging on their ears.