Austin Wood
Audio By Carbonatix
After the city of Dallas issued a breach-of-contract notice, White Rock Boathouse Inc. will not change its code of conduct, according to a response letter obtained by the Observer.
Sent to city attorneys on Aug. 5, the five-page letter comes with 31 pages of appendices and exhibits. The operator of White Rock Boathouse, the Filter Building and Boomerang Boathouse has rejected the notice and is demanding that the city retract it immediately. If not, “WRB intends to vigorously defend its rights and pursue all available remedies at law or in equity,” the letter states.
WRBI is currently locked in a separate lawsuit with the city over the renewal of its lease for the Boomerang. Lawyers for the operator cite the breach notice in an updated filing in a Dallas County district court, arguing that the city is seeking to “manufacture defaults and create pretextual grounds for termination of the agreement(s).”
A spokesperson for the city of Dallas declined to comment on the response, citing ongoing litigation.
The breach-of-contract notice and the existing lawsuit are part of a wider, yearslong dispute over city oversight and accessibility at the boathouse, which sits on public land on the southwest shore of White Rock Lake. WRBI has characterized the dispute as a “takeover attempt” by a rival rowing organization, while critics say the organization has failed to maintain transparency and public access at the boathouse, with WRBI’s code of conduct often cited as a leading example.
The code has previously been used to deny storage access to coaches and residents affiliated with Dallas United Crew, denials that WRBI Board Chair Sue Ellen Chambers says resulted from disingenuous attempts to cast the nonprofit in a negative light.
In a letter to the City Council, Dallas Park and Recreation Director John Jenkins said the department had not approved the most recent version of the code, as mandated by the contract. He also cited a section barring residents from membership at the facility if they have affiliation with other rowing organizations as violating the contract’s public access clause. The operator was given 30 days to remove the code from its website and submit an updated version to the city, which, according to WRBI’s response, it has no intention of doing.
WRBI’s response letter argues that department leadership approved the code of conduct in 2022 and 2023, and that the 2025 version remains effectively unchanged from those years in its conflict-of-interest clause.
- 2022 conflict-of interest provision: “Anyone employed by or volunteering as a coach or mentor for another junior, middle school, or adult rowing program in the Dallas area will not be accepted as a participant in our programs or club membership due to the conflict of interest it poses for the clubs.”
- 2025 version: “Anyone employed by or volunteering as a coach or mentor for another junior, middle school or adult rowing or fitness program in the Dallas area will not be accepted as a participant in our programs or club membership due to the conflict of interest it poses for both clubs.”
Additionally, WRBI’s lawyers argue that the code of conduct does not undermine public access, as the conflict-of-interest clause is designed to protect “recruiting integrity” and prevent a small group of people affiliated with rival organizations from infiltrating the boathouse.
The city’s next steps remain unclear. In a text, Chambers said the nonprofit is confident the court will find the city’s position baseless.
The City of Dallas reviewed and approved White Rock Boathouse’s Code of Conduct in 2023,” Chambers wrote. “What has changed is pressure from competitive organizations that have the ear of the Parks board and City Council. The 20-year public-private partnership between the city of Dallas and White Rock Boathouse has created opportunities and access for thousands of Dallas residents of all ages and abilities.”
