A quick update on yesterday’s news about those 60 day campers who paid to swim at a private swim club but were then kicked out of the pool once the management saw that they were black.
And it’s a good update!
So the staff at Girard College, a private Philadelphia boarding school for children who live in low-income and single parent homes, stepped in and offered their pool.
“We had to help,” said Girard College director of Admissions Tamara Leclair. “Every child deserves an incredible summer camp experience.”
The school already serves 500 campers of its own, but felt they could squeeze in 65 more – especially since the pool is vacant on the day the Creative Steps had originally planned to swim at Valley Swim Club.
. . . And to sweeten the deal, the owners of Gumdrops & Sprinkles treated the kids to a free day of candy and ice cream making.
U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) plans to launch an investigation into the discrimination claim. In a statement Specter said, “The allegations against the swim club as they are reported are extremely disturbing,”I am reaching out to the parties involved to ascertain the facts. Racial discrimination has no place in America today.”
Oh, and the pic above is from the NBC site — I think it’s from a previous swimming trip.
July 10th, 2009 at 10:49 am
This story was really so shocking, enough so that The Valley Club must have been inundated with calls, mailbox is always full even 2 days later. Good.