NAACP: Hollenback Golf Course employee made racist comment

WILKES-BARRE — The local branch of the NAACP said it will file a complaint with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission about an alleged racist comment made by an employee of the Hollenback Golf Course.

Jimel Calliste, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Branch #2306, said Wednesday the organization is calling for course management to institute sensitivity training for the staff.

Calliste also said the organization supports the demands of the golfer to whom the comment allegedly was directed that the employee issue a public apology and be disciplined.

The employee allegedly told Dwayne Harrison as he was about to tee off with a partner the afternoon of April 6, “I didn’t know they allowed blacks to play here,” according to a press release Calliste issued Tuesday.

Shocked by the comment, Harrison responded, “I’m not black. I’m Puerto Rican,” the press release said.

Harrison had met the employee two weeks earlier and was a course member in 2020 when the city of Wilkes-Barre operated the course, the press release said.

After making the comment, the employee later told Harrison, “I hope you weren’t offended by what I said earlier,” the press release said.

Harrison has not returned to the course, Calliste said.

The lack of urgency by the current course operator, the Wilkes-Barre General Municipal Authority, to deal with the incident concerned Calliste. He said he learned of it about 10 days after it happened.

“Any board can call a special meeting to discuss matters that are urgent,” Calliste said.

The Authority’s board did not include the incident on the agenda for its April 27 public meeting. Calliste said he was informed that he and the NAACP could present their case at the next meeting on May 25. The Authority meets at 6 p.m. at the Wilkes-Barre Golf Course, 1001 Fairway Drive in Bear Creek Township.

Calliste, other NAACP members and Harrison met with Authority Chairman Charles Majikes at the law office of attorney Donald Rogers on April 29. But Calliste said he came away disappointed there were no plans at that time to move forward with any recourse.

“We were told a conversation took place with (the employee) immediately after the incident, he has admitted to making the remarks and it is now a personnel issue. We have requested a copy of the non-discrimination policy to review what is said about responsiveness and disciplinary action,” the press release said.

Majikes Wednesday said he was aware of the incident and was taking steps to deal with it.

“It’s a personnel issue,” Majikes said, adding he had no further comment.

Calliste said the Authority does not condone what happened and he respects its procedure for handling the incident.

Calliste noted the city is not absolved of any responsibility, however. The city leased the course to the Authority earlier this year, and Mayor George Brown appoints the nine board members.

Brown Wednesday in a press release disagreed with Calliste.

“Mr. Calliste’s opinion, that city officials should be held accountable for the actions of an employee of the independent third-party operator hired to run the golf course, is misplaced. The alleged comment was made by an employee of the Authority and not an employee of the City of Wilkes-Barre,” Brown said in the press release.

Still, Brown said he has been in contact with the Authority about the incident.

“If true, I find the allegation to be highly offensive and inappropriate,” Brown said in the press release. “The Authority understands it is completely unacceptable to me that someone patronizing our city golf course would be subject to what is alleged by Mr. Harrison.”