Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

No love

Suspension of La Jolla Tennis Club president results in backlash

Tonight (July 29), the board of La Jolla Tennis Club suspended its former president, Phifer Crute, until January of 2016. She was earlier deposed as president — a post she did not hold long.

Crute had complained to the city about accounting at the tennis club (not to be confused with the tony La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club). The City of San Diego's Parks and Recreation Department responded to her complaint and initiated moves that led to a change in accounting procedures.

Sponsored
Sponsored

But the board jumped on Crute for "actions detrimental to the club" and "conduct reflecting unfavorably on the club." Among other things, Crute had written emails complaining of "fiscal mismanagement" at the club and a "mob mentality" afflicting board members.

She says she got threatening phone calls and a letter from a lawyer saying her statements were defamatory and she could wind up defending herself in court. The tennis-club board also criticized her for so-called "defamatory" statements.

But those accusing Crute of sins seem to forget that she won. After she complained, significant changes were made in accounting. Crute has two lawyers who say the defamation complaints are not valid. They accompanied her to tonight's meeting, which was taped. With the lawyers in attendance, and the tape recorder running, boardmembers would not repeat the charges openly; they only referred to letters they had previously sent her.

Steve Erie, professor of political science at the University of California San Diego, says this is a case of the city outsourcing management of a facility to a private organization, which acted in its own interests, not the city's. The manager about whom Crute complained worked for the club. The club does raise money for maintenance of the courts, but the City of San Diego owns them.

"This looks like pure retaliation against the whistleblower," says Erie. Crute has now filed a complaint with the city auditor who, Erie believes, should oversee the accounting at facilities owned by the city.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Coyote tracks in frail San Diego avocado grove

Second place winner in Reader neighborhood writing contest
Next Article

Pacific Beach – car thief's paradise

Take photos of your automobile and license plate

Tonight (July 29), the board of La Jolla Tennis Club suspended its former president, Phifer Crute, until January of 2016. She was earlier deposed as president — a post she did not hold long.

Crute had complained to the city about accounting at the tennis club (not to be confused with the tony La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club). The City of San Diego's Parks and Recreation Department responded to her complaint and initiated moves that led to a change in accounting procedures.

Sponsored
Sponsored

But the board jumped on Crute for "actions detrimental to the club" and "conduct reflecting unfavorably on the club." Among other things, Crute had written emails complaining of "fiscal mismanagement" at the club and a "mob mentality" afflicting board members.

She says she got threatening phone calls and a letter from a lawyer saying her statements were defamatory and she could wind up defending herself in court. The tennis-club board also criticized her for so-called "defamatory" statements.

But those accusing Crute of sins seem to forget that she won. After she complained, significant changes were made in accounting. Crute has two lawyers who say the defamation complaints are not valid. They accompanied her to tonight's meeting, which was taped. With the lawyers in attendance, and the tape recorder running, boardmembers would not repeat the charges openly; they only referred to letters they had previously sent her.

Steve Erie, professor of political science at the University of California San Diego, says this is a case of the city outsourcing management of a facility to a private organization, which acted in its own interests, not the city's. The manager about whom Crute complained worked for the club. The club does raise money for maintenance of the courts, but the City of San Diego owns them.

"This looks like pure retaliation against the whistleblower," says Erie. Crute has now filed a complaint with the city auditor who, Erie believes, should oversee the accounting at facilities owned by the city.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Coyote tracks in frail San Diego avocado grove

Second place winner in Reader neighborhood writing contest
Next Article

Will L.A. Times crowd out San Diego U-T at Riverside printing plant?

Will Toni Atkins stand back from anti-SDG&E initiative?
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.