BURBANK, Calif., Sept. 23 (UPI) -- A venerable Los Angeles-area country club is being sued for allegedly discriminating against women.
The suit detailed in Saturday's New York Times alleges that the Lakeside Golf Club, which was a haven for many of Hollywood's immortals, barred women from certain lounges, stuck them with lousy tee times and was dominated by an all-male board.
Jennifer Merkel says club rules relegated her to "special membership" status rather than allowing her to seek a life membership.
Lakeside Golf Club in Burbank, where the likes of John Wayne, Bob Hope and W.C. Fields once played, countered that the suit was the result of the club's decision to terminate the membership of Merkel's husband, Reginald, for "ungentlemanly" conduct.
While Lakeside told the Times its rules were "gender neutral," legal analysts said sexual-discrimination rules generally did not apply to completely private clubs.
