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Who are Frank Herrera and Mitchel Queen? Old Ranch Country Club bosses allegedly ignored worker's sex abuse complaints

Peyton Stover, a former employee of The Old Ranch Country Club, has filed a $15 million lawsuit against the club over sexual harassment
UPDATED JAN 31, 2023
Mitchel Queen (L) and Frank Herrera, who occupy the top spots at the Old Ranch Country Club management, are now at the receiving end of a lawsuit from former employee Peyton Stover (oldranch.com, Peyton Stover/Facebook)
Mitchel Queen (L) and Frank Herrera, who occupy the top spots at the Old Ranch Country Club management, are now at the receiving end of a lawsuit from former employee Peyton Stover (oldranch.com, Peyton Stover/Facebook)

SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA: A former beverage cart attendant of the Old Ranch country Club in Seal Beach, California is suing the club after claiming that she was forced to endure sexual harassment and assault from wealthy club members for years. 

Peyton Stover, 26, is suing the golf club for more than $15 million after working at the club for two years. She claims that the members in question would often grope her and ask her to lift up her shirt. Stover's suit alleges that when she complained to her supervisor James Poper and the club manager Mitchel Queen, they defended the harassment by saying the golfers had paid a premium to become members of the club and could behave however they wanted. Apparently, she was also told by Poper that being sexually harassed would make her more money, according to the Daily Mail

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The Old Ranch Country Club, Seal Beach, California (oldranch.com)
The Old Ranch Country Club, Seal Beach, California (oldranch.com)

The lawsuit filed in Orange County Superior Court claims that golfers would touch Stover and ask her to show them her breasts. It also alleges they would give her alcohol and drugs and would send her sexually explicit text messages on her number, which they were given to order drinks. The lawsuit claims all of this happened with the approval of the management and that Poper would also send her sexually explicit messages at times. The suit states, "Stover understood this to mean that members were allowed to treat Old Ranch employees however they wished without repercussion or recourse and that Old Ranch condoned, ratified, and even encouraged this conduct as part of its business model in order to churn a profit."

The suit also claims that Stover brought the complaints to Queen's attention, after which he confirmed that Poper had also sexually harassed other female employees but he took no action against him. The suit states, "On each occasion, Queen merely confirmed that he was aware that Poper had sexually harassed other female Old Ranch employees and that his conduct was creepy. However, he took no action against Poper to cease this conduct."  

Who is Mitchel Queen?

Queen graduated from Cornell University. According to his LinkedIn, he worked at The Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton Hotel, for a total of 12 years, as a server assistant for one year and four months, as a food runner for one year and six months, and as a food server for two years. He then worked as a food and beverage manager for two years. He then moved up to the role of banquet director for a little over three years. His last position with the organization was as director of food and beverage, which he held for two years and six months. He started working at The Old Ranch Country Club, a part of ClubCorp, in December 2019, where he started with the position of director of food and beverages and then moved on to become the club manager in May 2021. 

Who is Frank Herrera?

Herrera is the General Manager of The Old Ranch Country Club. When asked to comment on the lawsuit, he told the Orange County Register in an email that he could not comment on pending litigation. According to GlobeNewswire, the club announced a multimillion-dollar renovation project in 2020, which Herrera oversaw. "This reinvention signifies the beginning of an exciting new era for Old Ranch Country Club. We are pleased to offer even more new amenities and features that elevate the Member experience and provide more value to our membership,” Herrera said of the club that now faces a $15 million sexual harassment lawsuit because of their club members' behaviour with their female staffers.

Herrera was also the club's spokeperson when it came to charitable activities in the community. On March 13, 2020, Herrera presented Los Alamitos Education Foundation (LAEF) with a check for $10,860. He also hosted the club's monthly 'Happy Hour with Frank,' where, as the general manager, he mingled with club members to get their "feedback" on The Old Ranch Country Club and its services. Herrera was in most cases the club's liasion when it came to public events or building networks in the community and keep club members happy. It is not known if Herrera was himself personally aware of the harrassment of female staffers in the club's premises.

A typical guest invite for evening hosted by the general manager to solicit 'feedback' from club members (Facebook)
A typical guest invite for evening hosted by the general manager, Frank Herrera, to solicit 'feedback' from club members (Facebook)                   
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