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Princeton Eating Club Loses Bid to Continue Ban on Women

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<i> Associated Press</i>

The Supreme Court refused Tuesday to let the only remaining all-male eating club at Princeton University continue excluding women as members.

The court, without comment, let stand a ruling that Tiger Inn must admit women members this year.

The case began in 1979, when Sally Frank, then a Princeton junior, filed a complaint with New Jersey civil rights officials against Princeton and three eating clubs.

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Such clubs are similar to fraternities or sororities at other colleges and universities.

Frank, now a 31-year-old assistant law professor at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, accused Tiger Inn and the Cottage and Ivy clubs of violating a New Jersey anti-discrimination law.

Cottage Club admitted women in 1986 when it settled Frank’s suit. Ivy Club admitted 15 women in October.

Tiger Inn’s members voted in October to continue banning women.

The club said in the appeal acted on Tuesday that forcing it to admit women violates members’ constitutional right to freedom of association.

The club’s lawyers said the case could affect 7,000 fraternities and sororities that have about 9 million members.

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