Creation of Commission on Bias by Clubs Urged

A task force investigating racial and sexual discrimination by private clubs in Los Angeles has recommended that the City Council establish a commission with the power to issue subpoenas to go after clubs that enforce such membership restrictions.

Establishing a separate commission was one of several recommendations made by the task force, which was set up by City Atty. James K. Hahn and chaired by attorney Gloria Allred.

Members of the task force, representing eight civil rights organizations, found a continuing problem of discrimination by private clubs, even though none of the 20 private clubs invited to testify before the group did so, Allred said. “The clubs were uniformly uncooperative and in many cases adopted an attitude of questioning the right of the city attorney to establish a task force,” she said.