‘Men-only club’ announcement called mistake, retracted
Hub restaurant welcomes women
By Donna Goodison | Wednesday, November 4, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Imagine launching a new restaurant and incurring the scrutiny of the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Organization for Women before it even opens.
That’s what happened to the owners of Stoddard’s Fine Food & Ale, a “gastropub” opening this month in Downtown Crossing.
Controversy erupted after Stoddard’s sent out a press release last month about its opening that included news of a private, membership-based “gentlemen-only Friday Club” on its lower level.
After the plans came under criticism for excluding women - and possibly violating a state law that prohibits discrimination in public places - Stoddard’s “clarified” its policy 12 days later. In a new statement last Wednesday, partner William Ashmore stressed the club would be “members only,” and women are free to join.
Ashmore told the Herald there was never any plan to exclude women, and that publicist Chris Lyons misconstrued the owners’ intentions. But, he said, “I’m going to take the blame for it simply because . . . many things were occurring at once, and I didn’t have enough focus on (the release).”
Lyons insists there was no confusion on her part, and that Ashmore backtracked once his plan drew fire.
“They told me it was a males-only private club in no uncertain terms,” she said. “I put it in the press release. They approved that press release, and that press release was sent out.”
Lyons, who fielded calls from the state offices of the ACLU and NOW about the club’s plans, was replaced this week by Regan Communications. Regan suggested Stoddard’s host a “beer summit” tomorrow to generate positive publicity and smooth things over with the ACLU and NOW - a la President Obama’s White House meeting with Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates and Cambridge police Sgt. James Crowley.
But the summit appears to be a non-starter. NOW representatives said they couldn’t fit in the last-minute invite, and ACLU staff attorney Sarah Wunsch said a summit is unnecessary.
“The original press release about this club made me think they could have been easily found to be responsible for violations of the public accommodations law,” Wunsch said. “We made our feelings known, and they responded. I don’t think we need to sit down and drink beer with them.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1209462
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