of the club accused of encouraging discrimination.

Mr. Sanders Frith-Brown was responding to accusations made last week by a black Bermudian line-judge who dropped out of the XL Bermuda Open held at the club due to alleged racism.

The woman, who was barred from the club's beach by a security guard while her white colleagues went on, said she was hurt by the entire incident and would not be returning to the club.

She also called for the prestigious, $328,000 event to be held at a different local venue in the future.

"It's not the first racial thing that has happened down there,'' she said, adding that she has worked at the tournament before.

"It is unfortunate that the tournament is held there because it limits who goes there.'' But Mr. Frith-Brown told The Royal Gazette : "The tennis branch of Coral Beach has not practised any classism or racism. And they have been put in a very awkward position as a result of this.'' "In fact,'' he said, "I am positive that no black Bermudian has been refused any admission into the club. The club has always had a policy to encourage use of its facilities by locals, black and white.'' While noting that the club did not keep a record of members' races, Mr.

Frith-Brown claimed that he was the first black member of the club, explaining that he is 1/32 black and therefore considers himself to be black.

He said from the age of eight to 16 he had membership under his family, and he became an adult member of the club in 1971.

Since then, he added, a number of blacks had joined the club, including the Premier and the Opposition Leader's father-in-law Mr. Alan Simmons.

Mr. Frith-Brown also noted that in 1971/72 he was vice president of the predominantly-black All Bermuda Tennis club.

"I made the decision to play for the All Bermuda Tennis Club, and not Coral Beach, to contribute to the integration of tennis,'' he said.

"I was encouraged by Alan to help in the integration of the team. And I encouraged Coral Beach club to do the same.'' Mr. Frith-Brown added that Mr. George Wardman, general manager of Horizons Ltd. which owns Coral Beach, has always been supportive of locals using the club whenever they can.

"There is racism in Bermuda,'' he said, "but not at Coral Beach. Coral Beach has bent over backwards to end discrimination.

"I know the sincerity of their wish to use tennis as a tool of integration.

"Coral Beach would be one of the least clubs to be racist, because they (members) would only come across the upper class Bermudians who will be least likely to be racists because they don't come into contact with lower and middle class Bermudians.'' Mr. Frith-Brown said it was obvious that the entire line-judge incident was a mistake, and the club had apologised.

He said he was also stopped by security when he attempted to enter the club without a pass last Wednesday.

"The girl has become oversensitive,'' he said about the line-judge.

When contacted, Human Affairs Minister the Hon. Jerome Dill said he could not comment on the Coral Beach situation because he only knew what he had read.

However, he admitted that he understood the line-judge's "sensitivity to the issue''. And he noted that the "upside'' to the incident was that Coral Beach had apologised and said discrimination was not intended.

This, he added, would not have happened years ago.