A Manhattan man says there’s no love for tennis whites at this public park.
East Village resident Douglas Howard is suing the city over claims he lost his permit to teach tennis at the East River Park after complaining about reverse discrimination by non-white workers there.
His Manhattan federal court suit seeks unspecified damages for civil-rights violations, lost income and “shame, humiliation, embarrassment and mental distress.”
Howard, who specializes in teaching “lifelong basic tennis skills in a single lesson,” says he inked a 2 1/2-year pact to give paid lessons at the park in June 2008.
But less than four months later, a Parks and Recreation Department staffer told him that “we don’t want your white ass here,” court papers charge.
Howard, a lawyer, also alleges that park manager Kieishsha Garnes let a Hispanic man named “Ruiz” give lessons without a permit and gave him preference in booking the courts — even though Howard’s contract gave him a guaranteed spot.
And when Howard told one of his competitor’s students that “it was illegal for Ruiz to give paid lessons in the park and that his methods were unsound,” Ruiz allegedly responded by attacking Howard with his racquet.
Both men were arrested after the cops were called, but Howard, 52, says prosecutors dropped all charges against him in the violent volley.
After complaining in writing to officials including Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, Howard says his contract was cancelled without explanation in August 2009.
A spokeswoman for the city Law Department declined to comment.