Can Philadelphia still claim the nickname "City of Brotherly Love"? That might seem questionable after last week's swimming pool scandal.
The Valley Swim Club, in suburban Huntingdon Valley, made national news last week when a group of young campers, who had a pre-arranged and pre-paid agreement to use the pool, were subjected to racially-charged comments and were ordered to leave the club. You see, most of the campers (if not all) had brown or black skin.
Philadelphia's NBC affiliate quoted Valley Swim Club president John Duesler as saying in a statement, "There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion ... and the atmosphere of the club."
Oops!
Righteous protests ensued.
Valley Swim Club tried to backpedal, saying that the kids were turned away because of safety issues due to the number of campers. But safety issues didn't seem to be a concern when the club originally took the kids' money. It suddenly became an issue once they saw what the kids looked like. Or so it would seem.
Eventually, the disgraced swim club succumbed to public pressure and invited the campers to return. The campers declined, and I'm glad they did. After all, why would they want to return to a place where the long-term (white) members had made racial comments and pulled their own (white) kids from the pool at the sight of the minority children?
That is certainly not a pool where I would want to spend my time. And I'm white.
Meantime, the campers are suing, as well they should. And I hope the lawsuit will cost the Valley Swim Club dearly, although some legal experts say it's unlikely.
While no amount of money can compensate for the pain those children must have felt when they heard the racist remarks, the Valley Swim Club needs to be punished.
And I hope other recreational facilities, whether public or private, will take note.
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