In re Van Cleve Hotel Co.

88 Ohio Law. Abs. 236, 18 Ohio Op. 2d 229, 1962 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 267
Ohio Civil Rights Commission·Decided January 3, 1962·No. No. 1·Published

Opinion

[237]*237Commission Order, Findings op Fact, and Reasons

On the basis of the record we find no ground for taking further testimony or hearing further argument. We concur in the findings of fact, conclusions of law, and the opinion of the Hearing Examiner, which are made a part hereof. We deem it appropriate to comment on the thorough and acute analysis of the evidence by Dean Barrow, for the record is lengthy and contains its share of vague and conflicting testimony.

We see no purpose in adding to the discussion contained in the opinion of the Hearing Examiner, with which we concur in full. Without detracting from other reasons, we are particularly convinced by the efforts of Respondent Taylor to fill the position of bass violin player for the Lamplighters during their engagement at the Yan Cleve Hotel while at the same time, and in the same room, Lester Bass, one of the most talented bass violinists in the area, was seeking employment. There is no convincing reason for the failure to refer him for this position except discrimination. There is no evidence in the record that such discrimination was requested by any representative or agent of the Van Cleve Hotel.

Order

1. The Commission finds that respondent, the Van Cleve Hotel Company, has not engaged in any unlawful discriminatory practices within the meaning of Sections 4112.01 to 4112.08, inclusive, Revised Code, and as to this respondent the complaint is dismissed.

2. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that respondent Carl Taylor pay to complainant Lester Bass $180, the amount of the net salary to which he would have been entitled had he been permitted to perform with the Lamplighters during the engagement at the Yan Cleve Hotel, plus interest at 6% per annum from March 27, 1961.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent Carl Taylor forthwith cease and desist from discriminating against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin or ancestry in the acceptance, registration, classification or referral of persons for employment, or otherwise discriminating against [238]*238any person contrary to the Ohio Fair Employment Practices Act.

January 3,1962 By the Commission

Richard E. Guggenheim CHAIRMAN

Opinion, Findings op Fact, Conclusions op Law and Recommendations

Opinion

On March 27, 1961, complainant Lester Bass, a Negro musician residing in Dayton, Othio, filed with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission a charge against the Van Cleve Hotel Company, Dayton, Ohio, and Karl Taylor Orchestras and Entertainment, Dayton, Ohio, respondents in this case. In substance, complainant charged that, because of his race and color, respondents had denied him an opportunity to perform with the musical group with which he regularly performed, the Lamplighters, during an engagement at the Van Cleve Hotel. After investigation and conciliatory endeavors, the Commission issued a complaint alleging that respondents have engaged in unlawful discriminatory practices in violation of the Ohio Fair Employment Practices Act.

The provisions of FEPA on which the complaint is based are subsections (A), (B) and (H) of Section 4112.02, Revised Code, reading as follows:

“Section 4112.02, Revised Code. It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice:
“ (A) For any employer, because of the race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry of any person, to refuse to hire or otherwise to discriminate against him with respect to hire, tenure, terms, conditions or privileges of employment, or any matter directly or indirectly related to employment.
“(B) For an employment agency, because of race, color, religion, national origin, or ancestry to:
“(1) Refuse or fail to accept, register, classify properly, or refer for employment, or otherwise to discriminate against any person;
“ (2) Comply with a request from an employer for referral of applicants for employment if the request indicates directly or indirectly that the employer fails to comply with the pro[239]*239visions of Sections 4112.01 to 4112.07, inclusive, Revised Code. # # # *
“ (H) For any person to aid, abet, incite, compel or coerce tbe doing of any act declared by this section to be an unlawful discriminatory practice, or to obstruct or prevent any person from complying with the provisions of Sections 4112.01 to 4112.07, inclusive, Revised Code, or any order issued thereunder, or to attempt directly or indirectly to commit any act declared by this section to be an unlawful discriminatory practice.”

The complaint alleged, in substance, that respondent Van Cleve Hotel Company requested that complainant, because of his race and color, be excluded from the Lamplighters during an engagement at the Van Cleve Hotel; that respondent Karl Taylor, who conducts an entertainment agency, either in compliance with this request or on his own initiative, referred the Lamplighters, exclusive of complainant, to the Van Cleve Hotel, complainant having been excluded because of race and color; and that, as a result of the unlawful discriminatory practices, complainant was deprived of employment during the engagement of the Lamplighters at the Van Cleve Hotel, from March 13,1961 through March 26,1961, inclusive, and in the succeeding engagement of the Lamplighters at the Galaxy Club, Dayton, Ohio, which employed the group as it was constituted during the engagement at the Van Cleve Hotel, for a period beginning on March 29, 1961, and lasting at least ten weeks.

Upon due notice, a hearing was held in Dayton, Ohio, on ’September 6, 7 and 14,1961, before a hearing examiner appointed by the Commission.

A. Karl1 Taylor dba Karl Taylor Orchestras and Entertainment.

The complaint alleged that, either in compliance with a request of the Van Cleve Hotel or on his own initiative, respondent Karl Taylor referred the Lamplighters for an engagement at the Van Cleve Hotel, complainant Bass being excluded therefrom because of race and color.

FEPA makes it an unlawful discriminatory practice for an employment agency to refuse or fail to refer for employment, [240]*240or to comply with a request from an employer for referral of, any person because of race or color. Respondent Karl Taylor is in business as an entertainment agency. As such, he refers musicians to band-leaders and refers musical bands to establishments desiring entertainment. Respondent Taylor is an “employment agency” within the meaning of FEPA.

During the past fifteen years, approximately, no Negro musician has performed in the public rooms at the Van Cleve Hotel. In his years of service as an entertainment agency, respondent Taylor had never, prior to the matter involved in this case, referred to the Van Cleve Hotel, for performance in the public rooms, a Negro orchestra or an orchestrá in which any Negro performed. The Lamplighters are a four-man band, of which the leader is Mr. Lee Hoppel and the side-men, at the time of the events leading to the complaint herein, were Mr. William Davis, Mr. Philip Kelly and Mr. Lester Bass, the complainant. Bass was the only Negro member of the band and played the bass violin. Karl Taylor has served as a booking agent for the Lamplighters since the organization of the group two years ago.

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In re Van Cleve Hotel Co., 88 Ohio Law. Abs. 236, 18 Ohio Op. 2d 229, 1962 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 267 (Ohio 1962).

88 Ohio Law. Abs. 236 (In re Van Cleve Hotel Co.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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