Conley's waterpark files lawsuit over COVID-19 shutdown order
“There is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread to humans through the use of recreational waters.”
That is the opening line in a federal lawsuit filed by a pair of indoor waterparks in Butler and Monroe counties, claiming Gov. Tom Wolf's business showdown orders last week are unconstitutional.
The statement comes from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Butler attorney Tom King filed the complaint Sunday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania on behalf of Conley Resort and Golf Club in Penn Township and Kalahari Resorts & Convention in the Pocono Mountains.
The suit comes just days after Wolf moved to close entertainment venues and gyms, ban indoor dining at restaurants and temporarily halt sports and other extracurricular activities.
The suit noted the orders prevent Conley's, which is owned by the Woodlands at St. Barnabas, from operating its “Pirate's Cove” waterpark and Kalahari from operating its 260,000-square-foot waterpark.
The suit claims the governor's orders are discriminatory, noting that it forces waterparks to close while other businesses are allowed to remain open despite having “similar or greater person-to-person contact” and “significantly higher rates of infection associated with their business operations.”
This is a breaking news report. Read more in Wednesday's Butler Eagle.
