San Francisco’s secretive Bohemian Club faces new lawsuit over labor practices
San Francisco’s most secretive private club, the Bohemian Club, is under fire in a new lawsuit. The prestigious club, known for its six-story red-brick clubhouse on Taylor Street and exclusive summer retreats in Sonoma County, is accused of unlawful labor practices, including unpaid wages and failure to provide meal and rest breaks to its employees.
Class-action suit details
The class-action suit, brought by former cook Ron Roussell, alleges that the historic gentlemen’s club illegally altered workers’ timecards to conceal its failure to provide lunch breaks. Additionally, the lawsuit claims that employees were required to perform off-the-clock work without compensation and were sometimes pressured by supervisors “to skip rest periods completely.”
Previous allegations and ongoing litigation
This lawsuit is not an isolated incident for the Bohemian Club. Last year, valets who worked at the club’s secretive summer gathering at Bohemian Grove filed a lawsuit alleging 16-hour workdays and other unlawful activities. While the Bohemian Club was ultimately dismissed as a defendant, the case against Monastery Camp, another gentlemen’s association at the retreat, is still proceeding.
Club’s response to the lawsuit
Bohemian Club spokesperson Sam Singer dismissed Roussell’s lawsuit, stating, “The case has no merit. We expect it to be thrown out of court.”
Historical context and past settlements
In 2016, the club settled a lawsuit alleging wage theft for $7 million. Since its founding by a group of journalists in 1872, the Bohemian Club has been associated with several significant moments in modern American history. The club’s summer camp, a two-week July gathering on the Russian River, famously involves the burning of an effigy in front of a giant owl. It is said that J. Robert Oppenheimer first discussed the Manhattan Project at the camp, and Richard Nixon’s successful 1968 election campaign was reportedly launched there.
Upcoming events
Despite the ongoing legal challenges, the Bohemian Club’s annual event is set to commence in the coming weeks, continuing its long tradition of secretive and influential gatherings.
