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should this judge resign his club membership?

Should this judge resign his club membership?

  • Yes

    Votes: 10 83.3%

  • No

    Votes: 1 8.3%

  • 4:20

    Votes: 1 8.3%
  • Total voters
    12
I see no reason to be a member of a country club anyway. Networking is possible through other means, right?
 
StillBallin75 said:
Does the club actively discriminate based on race/gender?

Or does it just happen that white men like to get together to play some golf?
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The article says the club has only ever admitted 1 black man as a non-voting member, and that women can join, but can't vote in club decisions...so in a way, yeah.
 
tessaesque said:
The article says the club has only ever admitted 1 black man as a non-voting member, and that women can join, but can't vote in club decisions...so in a way, yeah.
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Okay it seems that it's a club of douchebags.
 
StillBallin75 said:
Does the club actively discriminate based on race/gender?

Or does it just happen that white men like to get together to play some golf?
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please.......did you read the entire article?
 
tessaesque said:
I see no reason to be a member of a country club anyway. Networking is possible through other means, right?
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i don't care if one is a member of a club........but this judge is prohibited from belonging to this particular club.
 
those judges who voted to authorize the continued membership are an embarrassment to the judiciary ... as is the judge who has chosen to ignore the federal code of conduct - to avoid the appearance of partiality

let's ignore the racial aspect, because there is no barrier to a minority (male) from participating as a member (even tho none has been accepted as a member) ... well, other than the membership's willingness to vote against minority applicants

but it is so obvious that women members are intentionally excluded:
... Women, for their part, may join as “lady members.” Those memberships do not come with a vote ...
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clearly a disparate eligibility position based on gender
here is what should have been determinative in finding the judge ineligible to retain membership in this club - which does practice overt gender discrimination:
... The code forbids federal judges from being members of clubs that discriminate based on race or gender. The commentary makes a limited exception for judges who “make immediate and continuous efforts to have the organization discontinue its invidiously discriminatory practices.”

But even such energetic judges must resign, the commentary says, if the practices do not cease “as promptly as possible” and “in all events within two years.”

Judge Paine joined Belle Meade in 1978. ...
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the only good thing about that article is the knowledge that the offending judge will be off the bench (via voluntary retirement) by january

really hoping our resident attorney, the one who specializes in federal employment discrimination cases, chooses to chime in with his "considered" opinion on this matter
 
In a follow-up e-mail, Judge Paine said he found it “remarkably hypocritical” that the Sixth Circuit had singled him out for investigation when two other judges had been members of the club. One was a federal district judge who has since retired. The other was Judge Gilbert S. Merritt, a liberal member of the appeals court and an honorary, nonvoting member of Belle Meade.
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Belle Meade is a snobby part of Nashville, although I would like to hear a statement from them first stating that black's can't join and whatnot. I would like more info before I make a decision.
 
digsbe said:
Belle Meade is a snobby part of Nashville, although I would like to hear a statement from them first stating that black's can't join and whatnot. I would like more info before I make a decision.
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of course, they've never stated that. women cannot be voting members, isn't THAT enough?
 
The code forbids federal judges from being members of clubs that discriminate based on race or gender. The commentary makes a limited exception for judges who “make immediate and continuous efforts to have the organization discontinue its invidiously discriminatory practices.”

But even such energetic judges must resign, the commentary says, if the practices do not cease “as promptly as possible” and “in all events within two years.”
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Sounds pretty open and shut to me. What exactly is the controversy? On what basis did the court decide that this was acceptable conduct for a judge?
 
liblady said:
of course, they've never stated that. women cannot be voting members, isn't THAT enough?
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If it's a private men's club then I see no problem with it to be honest :shrug: I might email them just to clarify what their rules our. I highly doubt that they exclude blacks and that their a racist organization when they're just a gold course with 600 full members. Belle Mead is an extremely small neighborhood that has an autonomous government within Nashville city limits. It's also a rich neighborhood with a majority Democrat voting population :mrgreen:
 
digsbe said:
If it's a private men's club then I see no problem with it to be honest :shrug: I might email them just to clarify what their rules our. I highly doubt that they exclude blacks and that their a racist organization when they're just a gold course with 600 full members. Belle Mead is an extremely small neighborhood that has an autonomous government within Nashville city limits. It's also a rich neighborhood with a majority Democrat voting population :mrgreen:
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oh, to be so naive.
 
Kandahar said:
Sounds pretty open and shut to me. What exactly is the controversy? On what basis did the court decide that this was acceptable conduct for a judge?
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Lets see here.........he has been a member of the club for 33 years...................a judge for 26 years..................announced he was retiring at the end of this year in January (over Pay)................and now people want to make a stink over it............success.......it does stink
 
Kandahar said:
Sounds pretty open and shut to me. What exactly is the controversy? On what basis did the court decide that this was acceptable conduct for a judge?
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that's not clear to me, in the article. makes no sense.
 
Just curious...

What if the judge were a leader in the Boy Scouts, or Girl Scouts, or part of a men's only sports league?
 
PT Again said:
Lets see here.........he has been a member of the club for 33 years...................a judge for 26 years..................announced he was retiring at the end of this year in January (over Pay)................and now people want to make a stink over it............success.......it does stink
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I don't know anything about the judge's personal circumstances, and they aren't really relevant to whether or not it's a violation of the conduct. If that summary of the code is accurate, then I don't see how it could be interpreted as anything other than a violation of the code: No membership in clubs that discriminate on race or gender, with a two year grace period for those who are attempting to change it. Even if we grant that he tried to change it, it's been more than two years and so the code of conduct indicates he should have resigned.
 
liblady said:
oh, to be so naive.
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Oh please. It's a small city with a 98% white population and a 60% Democrat voting block with only around 25% Republican voters. I live in Nashville, Belle Meade is part of Nashville's self proclaimed "left brain." If it's truly some racist anti-women country club that many want to paint it out to be then let's accept the facts of where it is and who lives there. As far as the ruling goes, your article pointed out problems and bias in the trial, I quoted a paragraph from it as well. If it really is some small racist country club then I think he should resign. Although it may be infringing upon his bodily sovereignty :ssst:

Upon doing some research I do think he should resign or leave his membership from the club. Only one black member has been admitted, and he lives in GA and is a Vanderbilt University trustee. Up until 1990 blacks and Jews couldn't become members. According to the law I think he should resign.
 
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digsbe said:
Oh please. It's a small city with a 98% white population and a 60% Democrat voting block with only around 25% Republican voters. I live in Nashville, Belle Meade is part of Nashville's self proclaimed "left brain." If it's truly some racist anti-women country club that many want to paint it out to be then let's accept the facts of where it is and who lives there. As far as the ruling goes, your article pointed out problems and bias in the trial, I quoted a paragraph from it as well. If it really is some small racist country club then I think he should resign. Although it may be infringing upon his bodily sovereignty :ssst:

Upon doing some research I do think he should resign or leave his membership from the club. Only one black member has been admitted, and he lives in GA and is a Vanderbilt University trustee. Up until 1990 blacks and Jews couldn't become members. According to the law I think he should resign.
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thank you for your edit.
 
I hope female judges aren't caught working out at Curves.
 
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