Golf pro takes swing against employer in state lawsuit
A North Bellmore man who served as the Garden City Country Club's head pro for 29 years has filed a lawsuit against his employer in state Supreme Court, claiming the club discriminated against him because of his age and disability.
Don Beatty's lawsuit, which seeks at least $20 million, claims he was stripped of his title and substantial earnings after he developed an arthritis condition in his back, preventing him from playing golf. The condition resulted in "15-20 epidurals, radio-frequency ablations, acupuncture, chiropractic treatment and physical therapy," the lawsuit said.
Beatty, 60, maintains in the lawsuit, though, that while he could still perform all the duties of head pro, he was replaced by a younger assistant golf professional on Jan. 1, 2014, and "promoted" to a position of "senior teaching professional."
But in that position, the litigation said, Beatty had reduced responsibilities and compensation.
As head pro, Beatty had managed and received profits from the pro shop, managed staff, hired assistant professionals and was involved in golf outings.
"As a result of defendants' discriminatory action, plaintiff's earnings which had been approximately $160,000 dropped to approximately $70,000 for the first year and more drastically thereafter with the ability to fire him within eight months," the lawsuit claims.
Defendants in the case include the members of the Garden City Country Club and its board of directors.
Neither Beatty's attorneys nor Garden City Country Club officials could be reached for comment.
The lawsuit seeks $10 million for age discrimination, $10 million for disability discrimination and punitive damages.
