Employees at the infamous Bohemian Grove retreat have filed a lawsuit against their previous employer alleging that they were routinely underpaid and requested to work beyond their agreed hours, according to a report by the New York Post.
Those attending the camp, who have included Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Henry Kissinger, and a host of past presidents and billionaires, attend the camp primarily during two weeks of festivities each year in July. Since 1878 the country’s most powerful men, including Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan have attended the retreat.
“Defendants continually worked together to come up with methods to avoid paying payroll taxes and overtime,”
Legal filing, District Court in Northern California
The Bohemian Grove camp covers more than 2,700 acres in Monte Rio, California, and provides a location for the rich and famous to engage in eating, drinking, and general reverie, according to the employees, referred to as ‘valets’ by the guests.
Three plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in June in the US District Court in Northern California against the Bohemian Club, a non-profit based in San Francisco that runs more than 100 similar retreats.
“These guys, they don’t want that college experience to go away, now they have more money and better alcohol.” Anthony Gregg, one of the plaintiffs, said in an interview with AirMail published on Saturday.
“Defendants continually worked together to come up with methods to avoid paying payroll taxes and overtime,” according to legal filings against the organizers and guests of the camp.
The employees allege that they were routinely paid 'off the record' in an attempt by their employer to avoid paying benefits and assuring that the rights of the workers were protected.
A frat house for the mega-rich
The Bohemian Club which was founded in 1872 by a group of actors and journalists, made more than $4.5 million in 2020, according to its latest federal tax filings. Tax filings also showed the total assets of the organization as more than $38 million.
“We have reviewed the allegations and it is clear the claims appearing in the lawsuit are brought by individuals who were never employed by the Bohemian Club and therefore the Club should not be a party to this action,” the Bohemian Club statement said in response to the allegations.