Men’s rights activist sues SLO County sportfishing business for gender discrimination
A self-proclaimed men’s rights activist has hit another San Luis Obispo County business with a lawsuit — this one over a fishing trip promotion.
The lawsuit is the third filed by Steve Frye against a San Luis Obispo County business since 2013.
Frye, a member of the National Coalition for Men, filed the lawsuit Friday in San Luis Obispo Superior Court against Virg’s Landing, a Morro Bay sportfishing business, over what the lawsuit describes as a “Ladies’ Day” deal in which women were offered a discount price for a fishing excursion.
Frye claims he logged on to the Virg’s Landing website “because he intended to purchase a ticket for a fishing trip” and encountered an advertisement for the business’ promotion. He didn’t end up buying the ticket, the complaint says.
The lawsuit states it’s filed on behalf of Frye and “hundreds if not thousands of male and non-binary persons who encountered the discriminatory and restrictive content of the advertisements for the aforementioned ‘Ladies Day’ promotion, and were discouraged from seeking or otherwise denied the same full and equal accommodations.”
Frye’s lawsuit cites a 1985 California Supreme Court case that allegedly awarded a plaintiff $4,000 in statutory damages per offense against a car wash for its so-called “Ladies’ Night” promotional events.
Frye previously filed similar lawsuits against two other San Luis Obispo County businesses — suing Atascadero’s Galaxy Theaters in 2013 and the Paso Robles Golf Club in 2019.
Court records show both lawsuits were ultimately dismissed without any judgment against the businesses and no monetary damages awarded to Frye.
According to various past media reports, Frye has filed more than 40 such lawsuits across California.
Frye’s latest lawsuit does not specify how much money he seeks in damages and attorney’s fees, but he’s asking a judge to issue an order not only preventing Virg’s Landing from offering the deal, but to also order Virg’s Landing’s owners and employees undergo “diversity and sex discrimination training.”
A representative from Virg’s Landing on Wednesday said via email that the business had yet to be served with the “frivolous” lawsuit, and declined further comment.
A San Luis Obispo Superior Court judge is expected to first hear the case in April 2021.
This story was originally published December 30, 2020 at 9:22 AM.
