Family Alleges Racial Profiling at Swim Team Event at Hatfield Aquatic Center

Keith Heffintrayer•

Left Image: Andre, left, and Lauren, right. Right image from left to right: Andre's daughter, Angel, Tina (Fischer's sister), Lauren, Andre's daughter

The mother of a member of the Hatfield Sharks Swimming and Diving Team has accused Hatfield Township of racial profiling, after members of her family were repeatedly questioned about membership during a private Splash Party on the evening of July 27.

According to Rita Fischer, whose 15-year-old son is on the team, the private event was open to members of the swim team and their family members. To gain entry, family members were added to a guest list in advance of the event, and confirmed upon entry. Fischer said she invited her adult daughter Lauren, Lauren’s husband, Andre, and their three children to attend the event, but once they checked in, they were repeatedly questioned by staff, lifeguards and swim team board members.

"My son-in-law Andre, who is black, was getting a bottle of water when one of the board members began to stare at him, and another confronted him asking why he was there,” said Fischer. "After he explained that he was there as my guest, the questioning continued from others, including the pool’s assistant manager and a lifeguard questioning one of his little girls.”

The couple then left the pool, with their crying children in tow.

"At that point my family was completely horrified and embarrassed, so they left,” said Fischer. "No one else was questioned. There were lots of friends and family members there that no one else knew, and they were not questioned.”

Of those in attendance, two reached out to North Penn Now to corroborate Fischer’s story, stating that the family was essentially harassed by the staff at the pool.

"The family was not causing any problems,” said Jenna Price, whose daughter is on the swim team. "The pool manager went over to the family multiple times. After a few minutes of the manager and [Andre] speaking, the family gathered up their things to leave. It was clear that the dad had enough. The kids seemed upset.”

"As a parent and a member of the parent volunteer force, we failed Rita and her family,” said Annie McCourt-Makaron. "Someone should have stood up for Dre and Lauren.”

An Apology for a ‘Misunderstanding’

The following day, Fischer said she received emails and phone calls from others who attended the party, expressing their dismay with what occurred and offering their support for her and her family. She also received an email from Katie Risser, who is a swim team board member, apologizing for what she described as a misunderstanding.

In the email, Risser states that during the prior year’s Splash Party, there was a situation where a family tried to bring friends into the event, so making sure that community members were not trying to enter the team party this year was in the back of everyone’s mind.

"When [Andre] walked over from the pool to get water, I did look at him with a questioning look because I did not recognize him,” said Risser, in the email. "My ex-husband, Tim, did ask him if he was a part of the team and he said that he was with you. Tim apologized and said that he should please get water, but he refused. Tim also went back over to him later and apologized.”

Risser added that in speaking to the lifeguards, they stated that other families asked them to question the Fischer family, as the other members did not recognize them, either. She also said that there were other adults that they didn’t recognize, and those adults were questioned as well.

"I agree that it was an awful and hurtful situation, and I wish that it had not happened that way,” said Risser. "I am so sorry for doing anything that caused your family hurt or pain.”

Risser closed the email by saying the board is planning to use wristbands to identify guests in future years, as a means to avoid further misunderstandings.

Then on Tuesday morning, Fischer received an email from another board member, stating that the cause of the questioning was that the Fischer family had been mistakenly left off the guest list.

"I received numerous emails from various families in a short period of time, and unfortunately I missed some names,” reads the email. "Saturday afternoon, I doubled checked everyone's paperwork with our guest list before arriving at the pool, but I did not double check the list with all of my emails. A complete oversight on my part.”

Searching for Answers

Unsatisfied with the board members’ explanations, Fischer reached out to State Rep. Steve Malagari for direction on how to proceed with a formal complaint. Malagari stated that her best course of action would be to contact Hatfield Township Manager Aaron Bibro, which she did via phone on Monday.

Then on Wednesday, Fischer met with Bibro in person, to discuss what happened at the aquatic center and what course of action would be best to proceed.

According to Fischer, she said she wanted to file a formal complaint, but was told by Bibro that it would only amount to adding a note to the assistant manager’s employee file. Instead, Fischer said that Bibro allegedly offered to have the swim team offer a public apology on Facebook, but Fischer declined.

"That’s making it seem like the swim team was racist, and that would bring the swim team down,” said Fischer. "Absolutely not. And why should it be done on Facebook?”

Bibro disputed Fischer’s account of the meeting, stating that he was willing to accommodate Fischer’s request to file a formal complaint, but did not think it would provide the result that she was seeking. Bibro added that he offered to facilitate a meeting with the Fischer family and the swim team board to discuss the event and a possible public apology through social media, but Fischer declined.

At that point, Fischer rebuffed and instead requested a formal apology from the township, along with cultural sensitivity training for its employees, but Bibro felt as if the allegations were inappropriately directed at township staff, as the party was held by a private group that rented the facility from the township. Fischer said she then received a bag of "goodies,” including a snugly blanket, and was then directed to file a report with the police department.

Fischer said that she filed a report with the police chief, but was unsatisfied by the conversation. Now, she’s left to ponder her next move.

Statements from Hatfield Township, Swim Team Board

In a phone interview with North Penn Now, Hatfield Township Manager Bibro stated that the swim team is a private organization that rents the facility from Hatfield Township. He added that though the township does provide lifeguards to keep people safe, and an employee to open the facility, any of their actions during the party came at the request of the guests and the hosts of the event.

Additionally, any decision on who was or wasn’t allowed into the event was made by the swim team board.

Bibro also offered an official statement on behalf of Hatfield Township. The statement reads, in full:

"Hatfield Township provides parks and recreation facilities for many community organizations, including the Hatfield Sharks who use the Aquatic Center as its home venue for swim meets and practices. The Sharks are an independent organization overseen by volunteer board members who work really hard to provide a quality experience and instruction for young swimmers in the community. At the Shark’s annual end of season banquet this past weekend, one of the swim team family members reached out to me with allegations against the organization of racial profiling.

Hatfield Township takes all allegations seriously and the Hatfield Police Chief and I met with the parent separately within days of being notified. Hatfield Township works hard and has a proven track record of hiring and training a diverse staff to serve this diverse and wonderful Hatfield community. Hatfield staff and elected officials regularly speak and attend events at the numerous faith based organizations in Hatfield, volunteer regularly to serve meals at Manna on Main Street, recruit police officers and other employees from different backgrounds and ethnicities, and provide diversity training to employees. We are saddened and disheartened that a member of our community did not feel welcome when coming to an event at the pool and we will work to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Allegations like this provide opportunities for staff and volunteers to assess current policies and procedures for private parties, value different perspectives, respect opinions and feelings of those affected, and become better at serving the people who live and visit Hatfield. Everyone needs to feel welcome when they visit the Hatfield facilities and we will continue to work to make sure we have fostered the culture of inclusiveness.”

In addition to Bibro’s statement, the Hatfield Sharks Swimming and Diving Team Board issued the following statement:

"Our team is extremely saddened that any member or family felt excluded or not welcomed to celebrate the team at the splash party. Our team prides itself on being inclusive and accepting of all people.

When coordinating a party of over 200 people sometimes each invited face is not readily recognized, thus in the future to avoid misunderstandings wristbands or some other form of identification will be used to identify all people attending the end of the year splash party.”

Taking the Next Step

Fischer said she has no intention of dropping the issue, and will continue to seek out any course of action that can bring justice to her family.

"I honestly want a public apology from the township, and I’d like to see them undergo some real cultural and racism sensitivity training,” said Fischer. "I’m not looking for anything more than that. This happened to my kids, and I don’t want to see it happen to someone else.”

Fischer said she is also considering filing legal action if necessary. Until then, she’s focusing on consoling her family.

"My daughter and her husband are in a state of shock. They’re young, and they’ve never dealt with something like this before. It’s not 40 years ago, and this shouldn’t be happening.”