Surfer Bullies Won’t Face Class-Action Suit

A federal judge this week rejected class-action status for a lawsuit that accuses a group of surfers in Lunada Bay, Calif., of harassing and assaulting outsiders. The group, the so-called Bay Boys, are accused of resorting to violence to keep others out of their surfing area near a public beach. Functionally, the suit claims, the Bay Boys are nothing more than a street gang that has waged a campaign of intimidation against anyone outside the gang for years. It also alleges that Palos Verdes Estates officials were not committed to solving the problem, and that city efforts have been ineffective against the surfing bullies. The lawsuit was filed in 2016 by an El Segundo police officer, and small non-profit organization Coastal Protection Rangers, Inc.