One of the nation’s top female squash coaches filed a lawsuit against an exclusive Westchester County country club Thursday, alleging “prominent” members slept with prostitutes, bedded employees and may have even raped and drugged a female worker.
Squash guru Natalie Grainger claims she was fired from her six-figure job at the Westchester Country Club in Rye after she raised concerns about the bawdy behavior, according to her federal retaliation lawsuit.
Grainger, 45, was hired as the club’s squash director in 2018 and in August of that year learned an employee who worked under her – one of her “direct reports” – was sleeping with a “prominent” member, the suit states.
Because of the relationship, the employee was “separated” from the club, which boasts two championship golf Courses, a beach club on the Long Island Sound and requires a $170,000 initiation fee, according to the suit.
In 2021, Grainger learned a different “prominent” club member was allegedly sleeping with another one of her employees.
The employee’s performance at work began to deteriorate because of the relationship, and Grainger feared there was a growing problem of sexual harassment at the club.
“In or about October 2021, Grainger became especially concerned about sexual harassment at the Club when she discovered a trail of text messages among male Club members discussing a ‘lineup’ of women they had apparently picked out for the evening’s ‘fun,’” the suit states.
“The text exchange, which was sent to Employee 2 by Member 1, included pictures of three provocatively dressed women who appeared to be sex workers,” the suit states.
In 2020, the employee’s sister called Grainger early in the morning and said she was worried her sibling had been drugged while out with the club member who had boasted about the “lineup” of women.
“Grainger subsequently learned that Member 1 paid Employee 2 and, as Member 1 admitted, ‘not for squash,’” the suit states.
The suit goes on: “Grainger also learned that another female employee (“Employee 3”) complained that she was sexually assaulted by another male Club member at one of Member 1’s personal residences.”
Grainger repeatedly raised concerns about the allegations with a number of officials at the club, including a board member, but was rebuffed, according to the suit.
Instead of investigating the allegations, Grainger was fired in March 2022, the suit states.
Days after she was fired, Grainger learned from a wife of a club board member that the employee who may have been drugged by a club member alleged that she was raped by him, according to the suit.
Grainger is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages for discrimination, breach of contract and retaliation.
A Westchester Country Club official did not respond to a voicemail from The Post seeking comment Thursday.
“I was shocked when I learned about the behavior of certain men at the WCC, and I ultimately lost my job because I chose to stand up for myself and other women,” Grainger said in a statement released through her law firm, Wigdor LLP.
“I hope this lawsuit will help all who have endured this kind of discrimination and bring change to the culture at the WCC,” she added.