Rutgers agrees to changes at golf course to settle disability rights complaint
A golfer with a disability has forced Rutgers University to level the playing field at its main campus golf course.
New Jersey’s flagship university has agreed to a series of actions to improve accessibility at its Piscataway course as part of an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
The agreement stemmed from a complaint filed by Piscataway’s Michael Nappe, a former Rutgers employee and longtime golfer, who alleged that the university discriminated against him by failing to provide accessible routes at the course and charging fees for the carts he needed to move around the greens.
Nappe, 73, had filed the complaint a few years ago and thought nothing came of it − until he got a call this fall.
“The Department of Education called me after years of waiting and said they found in my favor,” he said.
After an investigation, the Civil Rights office found Rutgers had violated both the Americans with Disabilities Act and the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
The university’s communications director, Kevin Lorincz, acknowledged the agreement in an emailed statement.
“Rutgers University remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering and maintaining an inclusive, welcoming, and accessible environment for individuals with disabilities,” it said. “The university voluntarily entered into a resolution agreement with the Office for Civil Rights to resolve the allegations in the complaint regarding accessibility at the Rutgers Golf Course and is fully cooperating.”
Nappe, a former manager of finance and administration for information systems at Rutgers, said a “severely arthritic knee” and a stroke make walking the course impossible for him. He rented carts when they were available. But he was often out of luck when they weren’t. Those who could walk the course could play, but he had to come back another day.
‘Separate but equal’ at Rutgers golf course?
“They essentially offered me a separate-but-equal status, which didn’t feel right,” he said in an interview. “I had an accommodation to use a cart, but when they had no carts, they failed to provide any kind of alternate means. So, basically, I couldn’t use and enjoy the golf league that day.”
The Piscataway course had no accessibility policy in place, according to the resolution agreement issued by the OCR in August, which gave the university until Nov. 1 to come up with a plan to make the course accessible to all.
There were several issues at Rutgers’ 18-hole golf course located on the Busch Campus in Piscataway, according to the agreement and a letter sent to Nappe. Certain par-3 fairways were inaccessible to golf carts, effectively barring people with mobility impairments, the investigation found.
While some fairways were accessible, hole 11 was specifically cited for not meeting standards due to a slippery sloped gravel path.
“It has a gravel path; it’s a hill and not accessible. You can’t get up there with a cart. You have to climb the stairs,” Nappe said.
OCR’s letter, dated Aug. 16, outlined additional shortcomings, including Rutgers’ “no carts” policy during bad weather, which was determined to be insufficient when it came to serving people with disabilities.
Making a more accessible golf course
The university was told to create accessible, ADA-compliant routes to holes that had none. It also was barred from charging for carts when they are needed as an accommodation. Alternatives must be provided when the vehicles aren’t available, the OCR added, and Rutgers was ordered to train its staff in how to provide necessary accommodations.
As part of the resolution, Rutgers also agreed to refund any fees charged for such accommodations since the 2018-2019 academic year.
Nappe said he’s been reimbursed for three and a half years of cart fees, amounting to about $650.
Under the terms of the agreement, the university must report progress to OCR, which will monitor its compliance.
It’s a problem statewide
Rutgers has become more accommodating in recent months, Nappe said.
“They came through after the complaint,” he said. “I don’t think they knew what to do.”
Despite that progress, the Rutgers golf course website still included policies as of Sunday that seemed to contradict the agreement, Nappe said, including a warning that “all golf cart rentals require a fee.” Asked about the discrepancies, Lorincz said the university is awaiting approval from the federal government on the recommended policy changes. Once approved, they will be implemented and posted within 15 days. Rutgers Golf Course is not charging a cart fee for players requiring accommodations, he added.
Nappe, an avid golfer, stressed that broader issues remain statewide. He hopes his case serves as a catalyst for more comprehensive change at courses around the Garden State.
“This battle may be over, but the larger fight for equal access isn’t,” he said.
“I hope others won’t have to go through what I did just to enjoy a game of golf.”