A shadowy club in California recently associated with Clarence Thomas is being sued for multiple labor violations. Here's what the secret retreat is known for.
Sal Veder/AP Photo
- Former workers, known as valets, are suing an elite men's club for alleged labor violations.
- The lawsuit claims they were forced to work over 15 hours daily without breaks.
- The Bohemian Club has been associated with right-wing political figures, including Clarence Thomas.
The Bohemian Club, an all-men's private society in California that counts former presidents among its members, faces a class action lawsuit from servers for alleged labor violations.
The exclusive club occasionally pops up in the news, primarily for its association with elite and wealthy men. Most recently, a ProPublica report detailing Justice Clarence Thomas' relationship with Harlan Crow mentioned the club.
Thomas, who went on luxurious vacations with the billionaire real estate magnate and GOP megadonor, accompanied him to Bohemian Grove — a hidden woodland retreat often associated with the club that hosts events like a 14-day summer camp.
Former valets who used to work at Monastery Camp in Monte Rio, California, which they described as one of the "most prestigious and well-known camps at Bohemian Grove," filed the complaint on June 5.
The valets, who attended to wealthy guests during summer camp, claim in the complaint that workers were required to work over 15 hours a day with no breaks or meal periods while only receiving pay for 8 hours a day. The suit alleges that club management "continually worked together to come up with methods to avoid paying payroll taxes and overtime."
The suit names Bohemian Club treasurer William Dawson as someone who directly asked employees to "falsify payroll records." It also claims that valets were asked to hide when the owner of the payroll company Pomella LLC, also named as a defendant in the suit, came to inspect the Grove. The suit alleges that the payroll company was also aware of the falsified timesheets.
The lawsuit also alleges that valets working at around 100 other camps plaintiffs say are associated with the club are run by captains that have engaged in similar labor violations. The lawsuit says that Bohemian Club may seek to distance itself from these camps during litigation, but asserts that these affiliate camps are a joint venture of the main club and that members pay the club to access these sites.
The members are suing for up to $1.5 million in damages.
In a statement to the Press Democrat, Sam Singer, a communications representative for the club, said that the club "has always valued and respected its employees, and that includes our commitment to full compliance with all applicable wage and hour laws and regulations."
"We believe these three individuals know full well they did not work for the Club and that this lawsuit is a transparent attempt to drag the Club into their individual circumstances," Singer told the Press Democrat. "The Club will vigorously defend itself in this action, as it would in any other meritless lawsuit."
The Bohemian Club, which has thousands of members and has been associated with Republican presidents like Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, and George HW Bush, has been hosting the summer camp for over 150 years and describes itself as a club of "gentlemen who are connected professionally with Literature, Art, Music, or the Drama."
The club, full of elite men often tight-lipped about its members and events, has garnered the interest of conspiracy theorists, left-leaning protestors, and interested onlookers. Although there is still much to learn about the club, one ritual was uncovered by InfoWars host Alex Jones, who snuck into the Bohemian Grove summer camp to film a strange ritual that consisted of robed members burning a coffin effigy — named "Care" — in front of a 40-foot owl statue.
According to previous investigative reports, the Grove also hosts various social activities, like plays and comedy shows featuring men portraying female characters. The club is also known for hosting "Lakeside Talks," where members, often those of the political elite, speak about policy ideas.
The Bohemian Club and a lawyer for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.