Balboa Bay Club Lifetime Member's Lawsuit Discloses Culture of Debauchery and Discrimination

SANTA ANA, Calif., Aug. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — On Thursday, August 28, 2014, Steve George, a successful local businessman and former lifetime member of the Balboa Bay Club (BBC), filed a lawsuit against the BBC and its current owners and managers.  The lawsuit alleges that the BBC terminated George's lifetime membership as the result of his medical disability, defamed George, and treated him differently from other BBC members by singling him out for punishment.

According to the Complaint, the Newport Harbor waterfront club has a long-standing history of incidents of BBC members and guests acting inappropriately–often the result of the BBC's "policy" and culture of encouraging excessive drinking at the BBC.  The lawsuit claims that intoxicated members are a regular fixture at the BBC.  The Complaint states that this has spawned intolerable behavior by member—including debauchery, endangerment, and harassment far worse than anything George was ever accused of doing.  These incidents by other members have been met with little or no consequences or discipline by the BBC.

As stated in the Complaint, George has been a model member of the BBC who has helped to recruit new members, made his yachts available to the BBC, and who has charitably supported the BBC with his time and money.  Yet, when George suffered an unforeseen adverse reaction to medication prescribed to treat his disability, the BBC's owners and managers used the one time incident (and George's disability) as a pretext to discriminate against George, according to the Complaint.

Despite the BBC's tolerance of inappropriate behavior by its other members, according to the lawsuit the BBC has no tolerance for disability.  The BBC terminated George's lifetime membership at the BBC, evicted his yachts from the BBC's marina, and banned George from ever entering onto the BBC's property – including the portions that the BBC is required to keep open to the public as a requirement of the BBC's lease of land from the City of Newport Beach.  As alleged in the Compliant, all of this was simply due to George's medical disability.

George alleges that the BBC and its owners and managers violated state and federal anti-discrimination laws because they treated George differently based on his disability.  Even worse, and to cover up the discrimination, the complaint alleges that BBC initiated a smear campaign to defame George's good name.  By filing his lawsuit, George seeks to hold Defendants liable for their discriminatory actions, defamatory attacks, and disparate treatment.

For further comment, please contact Brian J. McCormack of Callahan & Blaine, telephone number (714) 241-4444.