Long Island, NY - Jewish Lifeguards Claim Bias at Jones Beach

Long Islan, NY - Controversy is growing this summer over complaints from a group of Jewish lifeguards who say they have been harassed, unfairly disciplined and made the subject of a police investigation instigated by Jones Beach lifeguard administrators.

Officials with the state, which runs Jones Beach, acknowledged criminal investigations and disciplinary actions taken against several of the guards, citing suspicions of fraud and other infractions. But they vehemently denied that this is bias charges.
At least six Jewish lifeguards say they have been seized upon by administrators who have fabricated petty infractions and used the State Park Police to “appear to intimidate and persecute lifeguards the state wants to get rid of,” said one lifeguard, some were being investigated by the State Park Police regarding the legitimacy of their CPR certification.

“No one has explicitly said, ‘Let’s get the Jews,’ but we are looking at a whole bunch of ‘coincidences’ that I’d just like an explanation for,” said Mr. Lester, a lawyer who works as a lifeguard on the weekends. "All I want is a simple answer why the state is using their police force to investigate their own lifeguards over a CPR card.”

Officials with the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation dismissed the bias charges, and said the lifeguards making the accusations were disgruntled employees who were using baseless discrimination claims to further their union agenda and try to tar their employers.
“They’re playing the race card, and it’s thoroughly disgusting, because if we do get a legitimate complaint of something off-color, now that victim will be said to be crying wolf,’’