Harrison

Harrison

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When his demand for the use of a cart wasn’t included with the settlement offer of a year of free golf, Dwayne Harrison walked away from the deal.

In his discussions to drop a complaint stemming from a racist comment directed at him more than a year ago by the manager of the Hollenback Golf Course, Harrison said he kept lowering his demands of money and free play. But the refusal by the General Municipal Authority that manages Hollenback as well as the Wilkes-Barre Municipal Golf Course to accept his final demand forced Harrison to reject the settlement.

“They offered me a year membership at the muni. I would have taken it if they offered me the cart card,” Harrison said Wednesday.

Harrison, 56, of Forty Fort said after speaking with his wife about how he was being treated, he made his decision. “I felt that they weren’t giving me anything,” he said.

Last June Harrison filed a complaint with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission detailing what occurred the afternoon of April 6, 2021 as he and a partner were about to tee off at Hollenback, a public course the city of Wilkes-Barre leased to the GMA to manage.

The complaint and a similar one filed by the NAACP Wilkes-Barre Branch #2306 said Course Manager John Kebles Sr. walked up to Harrison and said, “I didn’t know they allowed Blacks to play here.” The complaints said Kebles later approached Harrison and said, “I hope you weren’t offended by what I said earlier.”

Without naming Kebles the GMA later issued an apology on May 6, 2021, saying an “employee of the golf course used unacceptable, racially insensitive language when addressing a patron.” It added the employee would “be appropriately disciplined, receive sensitivity training and offer Dwayne Harrison a public apology for his behavior.”

Kebles’ apology appeared in the Times Leader on May 21, 2021. “While my remark was made in a kidding manner, almost immediately after my remark, I realized it was inappropriate. I have struggled since that moment to find the words to sufficiently express how disappointed I am in myself as well as my regret in making a hurtful statement,” Kebles said.

Harrison called for the GMA to fire Kebles, who still works at the courses.

The GMA has declined to comment on how Kebles was disciplined. Board member Charles Majikes Wednesday said it was a personnel issue and also declined comment.

Harrison said he dealt with the PHRC and not the GMA. He started out asking for a financial settlement. “My first offer was $8,000. They turned that down and I asked for $4,000. They turned that down as well,” he said.

The next demand was one year at the muni which was then raised to two years, Harrison said.

“They offered me Hollenback first. I said, ‘Why the hell would I want to go back there?’” Harrison said.

Harrison said the discussion returned to one year at the municipal golf course. The PHRC came back with an offer and Harrison said he would take it if they added the use of a golf cart. The cart was not included in the final offer, however.

Harrison allowed a reporter to view the settlement agreement mailed to him earlier this month by the PHRC. The state agency investigates reports of discrimination and works with the parties in a complaint to resolve it. Harrison was offered “a 1 season membership to the Wilkes-Barre Municipal Golf Course.”

A letter dated April 1 that accompanied the agreement notified Harrison he had 10 days to sign, date and return it to the PHRC. Harrison said he was on vacation when the letter arrived and contacted the PHRC that gave him additional time. But Harrison neither signed it nor returned it.

The letter sent to Harrison said if he did not accept the offer, “upon a formal decision from our legal department, the case will be closed administratively.”

The PHRC did not return calls for comment Wednesday.

Harrison said has not yet received notice from the PHRC on the status of his case.

Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.