A Perth mother who claims she and her son were discriminated against at a Perth bar on the weekend plans to take the matter all the way to the Equal Opportunity Commission.
The mother said she was left "shocked" over her treatment at Scarborough's Matisse Beach Club on Sunday afternoon.
However the venue is sticking to its guns and claims it has done nothing wrong and was abiding by "government regulations" during its dealings with the mother.
The mother, who has asked not to be named in order to protect her son's identity, went to the venue with her husband and son, who is almost two, to see friends.
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They arrived at the venue, which has an outdoor pool area, at about 3.30pm.
"Our friends were in the outdoor area, my son was sitting with us, he was well behaved, always with me at all times," the mother said.
"Not once did he try to get in the pool...he wasn't causing an issue."
The mother said a member of staff then approached her and asked her to move.
"He went up to me and he said 'Darling, this is the pool area and due to liquor licensing reasons your son can't be here, are you going to stay here for long'?," the mum said.
"I said that was fine but I told him not to address me as darling...as a professional, he would not speak to someone like that."
The mother said the staff member pointed to an indoor dining area where they were told they could sit.
"I took my son and I went to the indoor area," she said.
"I sat there and it was fine. My husband came over and the food came to where we were sitting."
The mother said she believed they were moved not due to liquor licensing laws, but because it was the venue's policy that children are only allowed in the dining area.
The mother said she went back to the staff member to ask him about this.
"I told him it was nothing to do with liquor licensing and that my son had every right to be here," she said.
"He [the staff member] obviously didn't like that.
"My husband made eye contact with him on several occasions...he was well aware of where we were now sitting.
"A couple of minutes later a bouncer came up to us and said 'I've been asked to tell you that you have to leave because your son is here and you can't be in this area.'
"I was flabbergasted. I was sitting in the very area we were told we could move to.
"We were all shocked."
The mother claims the staff member then told her that the area they were sitting in was also part of the pool area.
"Suddenly where I was sitting was also considered the pool area yet it was clearly the dining area," she said.
The family was told they could sit in another area closer to the foyer but chose not to and left.
"I am just so disappointed," the mother said.
"It's discrimination against him [my son].
"It's clear that they've got an image they want to portray.
"If my husband was there on his own, I don't think he would have got that treatment."
The mother said she was not so much upset from being moved away from the pool area, but was more upset at how she was spoken to.
"They showed me where to move and I complied and when I did, then they told me again to move. It was quite apparent that they simply didn't want us in the venue," she said.
There is a sign outside the front of Matisse Beach Club which states children are prohibited from being in the pool area.
"Children are ONLY permitted inside the dining area," the sign says. "Must be constantly supervised.
"Guests and those accompanying them who do not comply and respect these rules will be politely asked to leave."
Venue manager Gina Brand said the premises operated under the Liquor Act and Health (Aquatic Facilities) Regulations and thus was approved to operate as a tavern and a "class three aquatic facility."
"Both approvals required that children are only permitted in the dining area of the venue," Ms Brand said.
"The lady refused to sit in the dining area that is permitted and both areas where she sat are not considered the dining area under our approvals and certificates to operate.
"The woman would not cooperate with the government regulations that are in place and was also uncooperative in general and at times abusive when interacting with our management team.
"The venue was operating as required to do so by law at all times."
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