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Westchester Country Club is playground for wealthy sex pests:
top squash coach
By Ben Feuerherd, NYPost
March 2, 2023 2:29pm Updated
One of the nation’s top female squash coaches filed a lawsuit against an exclusive Westchester County country club Thursday, alleging that “prominent” members slept with prostitutes, bedded employees and may have even drugged and raped a female worker.
Squash guru Natalie Grainger claims she was fired from her six-figure job at the Westchester Country Club in Rye after she raised concerns about the bawdy behavior, according to her federal retaliation lawsuit.
Grainger, 45, was hired as the club’s squash director in 2018 and in August of that year learned that an employee who worked under her — one of her “direct reports” — was sleeping with a “prominent” member, the suit states.
Because of the relationship, the employee was “separated” from the club, which boasts two championship golf courses, a beach club on the Long Island Sound and requires a $170,000 initiation fee, according to the suit.
The tony country club boasts world-class golf courses and a beach club with views of the Long Island Sound.
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In 2021, Grainger learned that a different “prominent” club member was allegedly sleeping with another of her employees.
The employee’s performance at work began to deteriorate because of the relationship, and Grainger feared there was a growing problem of sexual harassment at the club.
“In or about October 2021, Grainger became especially concerned about sexual harassment at the Club when she discovered a trail of text messages among male Club members discussing a ‘lineup’ of women they had apparently picked out for the evening’s ‘fun,’” the suit states.
“The text exchange, which was sent to Employee 2 by Member 1, included pictures of three provocatively dressed women who appeared to be sex workers,” the suit states.
In 2020, the employee’s sister called Grainger early in the morning and said she was worried that her sibling had been drugged while out with the club member who had boasted about the “lineup” of women.
“Grainger subsequently learned that Member 1 paid Employee 2 and, as Member 1 admitted, ‘not for squash,’” the suit states.
The suit goes on: “Grainger also learned that another female employee (‘Employee 3’) complained that she was sexually assaulted by another male Club member at one of Member 1’s personal residences.”
Grainger repeatedly raised concerns about the allegations with several officials at the club, including a board member, but was rebuffed, according to the suit.
Instead of investigating the allegations, Grainger was fired in March 2022, the suit states.
Grainger is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages.
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Days after she was fired, Grainger learned from board member’s wife that the employee who was allegedly drugged while out with a member said she was raped by him, according to the suit.
The suit describes Grainger as one of the most decorated squash players in the world, a three-time US Open champion and the only player – man or woman – to rank No. 1 in both singles and doubles.
She coached the US national team for 15 years and also served for 11 years as a board member of Squash Haven, an “enrichment program” that serves at-risk youth.
After she was fired, the club offered her position to a “less-qualified man, who moonlights as a disc jockey,” the suit states.
Grainger is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages for discrimination, breach of contract and retaliation.
A Westchester Country Club official did not respond to a voicemail from The Post seeking comment Thursday.
“I was shocked when I learned about the behavior of certain men at the WCC, and I ultimately lost my job because I chose to stand up for myself and other women,” Grainger said in a statement released through her law firm, Wigdor LLP.
“I hope this lawsuit will help all who have endured this kind of discrimination and bring change to the culture at the WCC,” she added.
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