Squash Star Sues Westchester Country Club In Sexploitation Scandal

HARRISON, NY — A squash player, once ranked No. 1 in the world, is suing her former employer for retaliating against her for bringing allegations of sexual misconduct at the elite Westchester Country Club to light, according to court filings.

Wigdor LLP said that its client, Natalie Grainger, filed claims of discrimination and retaliation against the Westchester Country Club (WCC) in Harrison, Board President Mark Christiana and Club Manager Tom Nevin, in U.S. District Court last Thursday.

Grainger said she first became concerned that female workers at the country club were harassed by male members in August 2018, according to allegations laid out in the lawsuit. She also found that two of her junior subordinates were involved in sexual relationships with male club members, according to court documents filed by her attorneys.

Even though club policies prohibit employees from "fraternizing" with club members, Grainger had to intervene once when one of the employees"had been drugged at a bar while out with a male member," the lawsuit contends. Grainger also said she saw that a female employee was included in a "sext" exchange among male club members, discussing a "lineup" of women they had picked out for the evening's "fun." The text exchange included "three provocatively dressed women who appeared to be sex workers." Lawyers claim that Grainger also learned that another female employee said she was sexually assaulted by a club member at one of the member's residences.

At the heart of the lawsuit are allegations that the club retaliated against the star athlete when she brought her concerns to her superiors.

Grainger said in court filings that she complained about the harassment repeatedly to the club's Head of Racquets and a board member, including a written complaint to the club’s Board Chairman, on March 7 of last year.

Grainger's lawyers said the club's written policies required that it "fully investigate" her concerns and protect her as a whistleblower. However, on March 16 of last year, the club responded by demanding that Grainger "resign," or else, according to a threat she said was issued by Club Manager Nevin, she would be fired for cause and publicly embarrassed.

Grainger told the court that she believes the club was tolerating the sexual harassment of female employees and after refusing to resign, she was fired for cause the next day.

In the lawsuit, Grainger is alleging violations of NYS Human Rights Executive Law, NY Not-for-Profit Corporations Law, and breach of contract.

"Natalie Grainger has filed this complaint because she was terminated from a job she loved for standing up for herself and other women after seeing the treatment by management at the WCC," Grainger's attorney Valdi Licul said in a statement. "Clearly this type of behavior has gone on for quite some time and we stand with Ms. Grainger in her fight for equality."

The WCC bills itself as "an exclusive family oriented Club" that "has been ranked 29th of 4,000 private Clubs in the United States and maintains its status as a 'Platinum Club.'" The club offers "world-class facilities, including two Championship Golf Courses, a Beach Club on Long Island Sound and comprehensive Tennis and Squash facilities." The initiation fee is $170,000 and the annual fee is $15,000.

At the time of this story, WCC officials have not responded to requests from Patch for comment on the allegations.

Grainger has been considered one of the top female squash players and coaches in the world. As one of the most decorated professional squash players in U.S. history, she is the only player to achieve No. 1 world ranking in both singles and doubles squash. Her achievements include being a three-time U.S. Open Champion, a 15-time U.S. National Champion, a seven-time South African National Champion, a three-time Pan American Games gold medal winner for the U.S., a World Open Champion in Women's Double and Mixed Doubles, a two-time World 35+ and a World 40+ Squash Singles Champion.

She coached the U.S. National Team for 15 years and the U.S. Women's World Championship Team. The U.S. Olympic Committee named Grainger Coach of the Year in 2011. She also coached all four of the top-ranked U.S. female players.

Grainger served for eight years as President of the Women's International Squash Professional Association, and was awarded the U.S. Squash Achievement Cup in 2016, and the Tournament of Champions Women's Leadership Award in 2014.

She was hired as the WCC's Squash Director in 2018, believed to be the only female director in the club's 100-year history. During her time at WCC, Grainger created, expanded and improved the club's squash programs for all ages and developed a special monitoring program to assist youth player members to get accepted to top colleges.

Grainger also launched the club's pickleball program on the club's paddle tennis courts, the first of its kind in the U.S.

In less than two years before the COVID-19 pandemic, Grainger expanded the WCC's squash programming by over 400 percent. She was rewarded with merit raises and expanded responsibilities, according to the lawsuit.

Grainger said she was pleased to accomplish so much despite being in a work environment hostile to women, but that satisfaction ended abruptly. Grainger said she came to believe that the WCC "created, fostered and enabled a sexually hostile work environment for women."

"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. "I hope this lawsuit will help all who have endured this kind of discrimination and bring change to the culture at the WCC."