{"id":348616,"date":"2026-06-05T21:51:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T21:51:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/348616\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T21:51:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T21:51:14","slug":"two-women-file-harassment-claims-against-long-beach-yacht-club","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/348616\/","title":{"rendered":"Two women file harassment claims against Long Beach Yacht Club"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two women have filed complaints with the California Civil Rights Department, alleging they faced sex-based harassment while working at the Long Beach Yacht Club over the last three years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The two women, Julianne Perez and Vanessa Wainer, allege they experienced verbal abuse, intimidation and harassment from the club\u2019s executive chef, Ken Haselwood, whom they say specifically targeted pregnant women. In their complaints, they say they raised their concerns with the club\u2019s human resources department and the Long Beach Yacht Club General Manager Norm Rich multiple times over the last three years and their concerns were never addressed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The complaints to the California Civil Rights Department<\/a> were filed on April 20. Then on May 5, local labor union Unite Here Local 11 organized a rally outside of the Yacht Club in support of Perez and Wainer, calling for the \u201cfair and humane treatment of women and pregnant workers.\u201d The union represents over 32,000 hospitality workers in Southern California.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Long Beach Yacht Club General Manager Rich said in an email to the Signal Tribune on June 5 that he believes Unite Here Local 11 made these accusations \u201cas a means of gaining an unfair advantage\u201d in the current labor negotiations happening between the Yacht Club and the labor union.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have investigated the general allegations of mistreatment by our executive chef and have found them to be wholly and completely without merit,\u201d Rich said in an email.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Long Beach Yacht Club General Manager Norm Rich talks with picketers, asking them to get out of the Yacht Club and to talk to him outside on May 7, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune) <\/p>\n

The Claims Against Long Beach Yacht Club<\/p>\n

Perez began working at the Long Beach Yacht Club in 2022 as a chef. Perez called herself \u201cthe tool\u201d in the kitchen, since she would often help everyone out in any way she could. She said when Haselwood began working as the executive chef in late 2022, he was \u201cquiet, observant, friendly and welcoming.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, he quickly began making changes as Perez claims Haselwood told the staff to stop talking while working and would not allow them to play Mexican music, allegedly saying, \u201cWe\u2019re not a Mexican restaurant. We can\u2019t be playing Mexican music here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Perez alleges that Haselwood would get in his workers\u2019 faces \u201cto physically intimidate them \u2026 mostly to female employees\u201d and would make comments about women faking whenever they called out sick.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When Perez became pregnant in January 2023, she claims Haselwood\u2019s demeanor toward her shifted drastically. Due to her pregnancy, Perez says she would need help from her coworkers to lift heavy kitchen equipment and wasn\u2019t as quick as before. In her complaint, Perez alleges that Haselwood began making \u201cdegrading comments,\u201d as well as \u201cpuffing up and getting close to my face\u201d to intimidate her.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Isabel Brentner, with the Hyatt Regency Long Beach, pickets outside of the Long Beach Yacht Club on May 7, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

\"\"Gustavo Bastidas from the Fairmont Breakers hangs up laundry outside the Long Beach Yacht Club entrance on May 7, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

During this time, Perez allegedly discovered Haselwood was timing her bathroom breaks, but no one else\u2019s. She claims he would also \u201cscold\u201d her if she took too long.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHe would time me so often that I found myself holding in my urge to go to the restroom, and even urinate myself at times, just to avoid his discipline,\u201d Perez wrote in her complaint to the California Civil Rights Department.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Around this time, in 2024, Wainer claims she found Perez crying in the bathroom stalls at work. Wainer wrote in her complaint that afterwards, she allegedly confronted Haselwood about his behavior toward Perez and asked him if he had been timing Perez\u2019s bathroom breaks. He allegedly admitted that he was reviewing the Yacht Club\u2019s cameras to time how long Perez was spending in the bathroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTo my knowledge, [redacted] only timed and surveilled Julie [Perez] in this manner,\u201d Wainer wrote in her complaint. She also claims that on a separate occasion, Haselwood questioned what Perez was doing in the bathroom in front of multiple other employees.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wainer also claims that Haselwood continued to harass Perez even while she was on maternity leave in 2024, allegedly mocking her to their coworkers after Perez requested an extended leave due to postpartum depression.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Maria Meza, UNITE HERE Local 11 lead organizer, uses a megaphone to chant \u201cno justice, no peace\u201d outside of the Long Beach Yacht Club on May 7, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

Perez told the Signal Tribune she went to the Long Beach Yacht Club\u2019s human resources department \u201cseveral times.\u201d \u201cThey would write things down and say, \u2018We\u2019ll talk to him,\u2019\u201d Perez said, adding that nothing ever came from these complaints.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI also know that I am not the only woman who has suffered from [redacted\u2019s] behavior, and overall, there is a pervasive culture of fear at the Yacht Club that has made it challenging for me to speak up,\u201d Perez wrote in her complaint.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As of the time of publication, Haselwood is still listed as Executive Chef on the Long Beach Yacht Club\u2019s website.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wainer alleges she had also witnessed Haselwood speak about women in degrading and discriminatory ways throughout her time of employment at the Yacht Club as a housekeeping manager, from 2023 to 2025. When Wainer mentioned her plans to get married, she claims Haselwood told her that he \u201chates women\u201d and \u201cviewed all women as money hungry liars because his wife cheated on him.\u201d Wainer wrote that she tried to avoid Haselwood at work afterwards.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wainer claims Haselwood\u2019s treatment of her also got worse when she got pregnant in 2024. On multiple occasions, she alleges Haselwood called pregnant women \u201clazy,\u201d while she herself worked up to two weeks before going into labor to help the club during its busy season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Reverend Mary Duong talks with Long Beach Yacht Club General Manager Norm Rich about the concerns regarding what actions the Long Beach Yacht Club will take about the alleged sex-based harassment the two pregnant mothers, Julianne Perez and Vanessa Wainer, endured on May 7, 2027. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

On the first day Wainer returned from her maternity leave in March 2025, she claims Haselwood began yelling at her while she was on lunch break. Multiple coworkers checked in on her afterwards, and her husband drove to the Yacht Club to check on her well-being, the complaint alleges.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When she went to the human resources department about the incident, she claims they told her, \u201cOh my god that guy has anger management issues. He is going to get us in trouble.\u201d It\u2019s unclear if Haselwood received any disciplinary action afterwards, though Wainer alleges the club\u2019s general manager told her to be patient with him.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wainer resigned in October 2025 and wrote in her complaint that Haselwood \u201ccreated an atmosphere that made working at the Yacht Club a miserable and stressful experience.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

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When Perez got pregnant a second time in 2025, she claims she became so stressed at work she began experiencing \u201canxiety attacks, stomach pains, and nightmares.\u201d She alleges that Haselwood screamed and slammed a tray down in the kitchen after finding out that Perez was ordered by her doctor to only work in four-hour shifts after being diagnosed with pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She also claims Haselwood continuously made comments about her working four-hour shifts, both in private and in front of other coworkers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the stress I was feeling during my second pregnancy in particular made me fear that I was risking my baby\u2019s life\u2026\u201d Perez wrote in her complaint.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"(From left to right) Long Beach Yacht Club General Manager Norm Rich shakes the hand of Reverend Mary Duong after the group discusses the sex-based harassment complaint made against the club on May 7, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune) <\/p>\n

Shortly after these incidents, Perez wrote that she was crying in the bathroom when the director of member services allegedly suggested she start her maternity leave early, meaning Perez would lose two months of income.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Perez is currently on maternity leave with her second child. She told the Signal Tribune that she\u2019s scared, nervous to return to work and fearful of retaliation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI do not want anyone else at the Yacht Club, especially other women and expecting mothers, to experience what I\u2019ve been through,\u201d Perez wrote in her complaint.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The two women are requesting that the California Civil Rights Department investigate the Yacht Club\u2019s \u201cfailure to correct and prevent sexual harassment, and its failure to foster a safe work environment where everyone is treated with respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SamanthaSamantha DiazManaging Editor<\/p>\n

Samantha is an award-winning journalist, sports fanatic and mother. She\u2019s worked for the Signal Tribune for over three years and is passionate about covering environmental news, small businesses, mutual aid efforts and resources. <\/p>\n

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