Woman banned from bingo club for erratic driving is desperate to be allowed back

A 70-year-old woman from Alamogordo, New Mexico, is banned from her local bingo hall, and she’s been fighting it for nearly two years. “I enjoy playing bingo, what is there else to do?” Evangeline Shelland said she’s played bingo at the Fraternal Order of Eagles club since 1985. But in January 2013, a supervisor called her into the office. “It’s indefinite, I cannot attend Eagles bingo,” Shelland said. She said management told her they’d received letters from people stating she’d been driving erratically in the parking lot.

Shelland denies the accusation, and claims she’s never been shown any evidence of wrong-doing. “I was hurt of course, you know, I was hurt and I’m still hurt, because I don’t think it’s right,” Shelland explained. Since the ban, she’s written letters in an attempt to get answers both to the club, and to the Attorney General’s Office. A representative from the Attorney General’s Office responded, saying “while we sympathize with your desire to play bingo, we do not have any jurisdiction over this issue and are unable to force them to allow you on their premises.”
Shelland said the supervisor that kicked her out no longer works at the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and she doesn’t understand why nearly two years later, she’s still not allowed back in. A supervisor at the club wouldn’t comment, saying it’s a private matter. The only correspondence Shelland received from the Eagles is a letter dated June 2013, stating “we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone” and the decision stands.

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The club is private, but they allow the public to play bingo. “What am I? Am I not public?” Shelland exclaimed. Since she’s retired, Shelland says bingo has been a social outlet. She feels her rights are being violated. “I mean we’re retirees, we don’t have nothing to do but go to the bingo,” Shelland said. “If somebody’s got something against me, tell me to my face.” Shelland maintains the club never showed her proof she did anything wrong. The club say there’s more to the story, but they refuse to elaborate.