Fired Staffer At Bergen County Country Club Files Discrimination Lawsuit

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A woman who was terminated from the Alpine Country Club last September has filed a discrimination lawsuit in state Superior Court.

Shakia Dixon, who said she worked at the club from February through Sept. 4, claims in the suit that she was discriminated against and harassed because of her race or national origin.

In the complaint, she says a supervisor continually made discriminatory comments to her and to others around her, including saying her natural hair was "messy" and telling another staff member that "fasting is so unhealthy" because the other staff member observed Ramadan.

Dixon, who is Black, says that when she complained to her superiors about the language and behavior, they didn't help.

Then, she says, the staff cut her hours so that she wasn't working on Mondays. In September, a supervisor held a meeting to terminate her, saying it was due to "lack of work."

"This harassment was because of Plaintiff’s race, ancestry and/or national origin in addition to the race, ancestry and/or national origin of others, singly or taken as a continuum," the suit states. "The harassment of Plaintiff was severe and/or pervasive. The harassment was such that a reasonable person in the same or similar circumstances as Plaintiff would have found the work environment altered to have become hostile and/or intimidating and/or abusive."

The suit says that "Members of upper management were willfully indifferent and/or participated in the discrimination, harassment and/or retaliation."

The suit also says that in May 2023, several staff members were hired from South Africa. Dixon alleges that a manager said they "sound like savages" when they talk. Dixon also alleges that a chef threw food at them "on multiple occasions"

The other managers did meet to discuss complaints about those two staffers, Dixon said, but this didn't help.

Dixon is requesting "equitable reinstatement, with equitable back pay and front pay," as well as reimbursement of court costs.

A news report published earlier this month says that two other women have filed discrimination lawsuits against Alpine Country Club recently.

The club did not respond to emails sent for comment.