Bohemian Grove, a secretive club for powerful, sued by workers over wages

June 18 (UPI) -- Three workers at Bohemian Club have filed a class action lawsuit against the secretive retreat for the powerful, alleging wage theft and other labor violations.

The lawsuit was filed by Anthony Gregg, Shawn Granger, and Wallid Saad against the club -- which has counted former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon among its members -- in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. They have demanded a jury trial.

The Bohemian Club is an organization that operates a network of summer camps at its infamous Bohemian Grove grounds in Monte Rio, Calif., for powerful "gentlemen" who are either connected professionally to the arts or have "demonstrated love" for literature, art, music and theater.

The organization's Monastery Camp, one of its most prestigious, was also named in the lawsuit. Among its members are executives of Fortune 500 companies and prominent government officials.

Each such camp is led by a "Camp Captain" that is responsible for the food, drinks, accommodations and finances at their respective camps on the Bohemian Grove campus.

The three workers, who served as valets, had each been employed by the club and primarily worked for the Monastery Camp until 2022, according to the lawsuit obtained by UPI. The workers said that valets were required to work more than 15 hours per day seven days a week.

The workers allege that Bohemian Grove and its codefendants violated the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as California's Labor Code and a California Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Order by failing to pay them a minimum wage or overtime.

The exclusive club also failed to pay employees premium wages for missing meals or missed breaks. The club also allegedly stiffed workers on their final paychecks and failed to maintain accurate employment records as required by law.

"Bohemian Club receives payments from each individual camp for the items and services that camp attendees use during the club events. Finances from the Bohemian Club and the camps are highly intertwined," the lawsuit reads.

"Bohemian Club directly financially benefits from services provided by the defendant Monastery Camp and other Bohemian Grove camps."

Sam Singer, a spokesman for the Bohemian Club, told UPI in an email Monday the club hasn't been served in the lawsuit and that the workers were never employed by the club.

"The club will vigorously defend itself in this action, as it would in any other meritless lawsuit. The Bohemian Club has always valued and respected its employees, and that includes our commitment to full compliance with all applicable wage and hour laws and regulations," Singer said.

The workers noted that Monastery Camp and the dozens of other camps that make up the Bohemian Club are not each incorporated as a business but collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in dues and other fees from their members that are used to hire and pay the valets.

"Bohemian Club is aware that camps are not legal entities, but their camps are employing valets to work off-the-clock and being paid under-the-table," the lawsuit reads.

The workers allege that Monastery Camp captain William Dawson, who also serves as the treasurer for the larger Bohemian Club, personally directed the valets to falsify payroll records and work off-the-clock without allowing them to collect tips.

Other alleged abuses outlined by the lawsuit include restricting their access to phone calls and forcing them to handwash the underwear of billionaire club members.

This article has been updated to include comments from a spokesman for the Bohemian Club.