BOCA RATON, FL — A former president of Stonebridge Golf and Country Club of Boca Raton is suing the club in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, claiming the Boca Raton country club imposed unauthorized discipline and failed to indemnify him after an internal grievance dispute, according to a civil complaint.
The lawsuit, Daniel Brumback v. Stonebridge Golf and Country Club of Boca Raton, Inc., Case No. 502026CA006214XXXAMB, was filed June 3, 2026, in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in and for Palm Beach County, Florida. The complaint names Daniel Brumback as plaintiff and Stonebridge Golf and Country Club of Boca Raton, Inc. as defendant.
Brumback is represented by Halpern & Koch P.A., according to the complaint. The filing seeks declaratory relief, court-ordered indemnification and damages for alleged breach of contract. The allegations have not been proven in court.
According to the complaint, Brumback is a Palm Beach County resident who has lived in the Stonebridge community for nearly 20 years and was elected to the club’s Board of Governors in March 2024. The complaint says he was later elected president of the board.
The lawsuit claims Brumback’s leadership was followed by disputes within the private club, including disagreements over management changes, vendor relationships and the handling of allegations involving a former club employee.
According to the complaint, the dispute grew after the club terminated former employee Shannon Kelly Emmanuel in April 2025. The lawsuit alleges Emmanuel later accused Brumback of inappropriate conduct, and that the club retained outside employment counsel to investigate. The complaint claims that no witness corroborated Emmanuel’s allegations against Brumback.
The complaint says a group of club members later filed a grievance related to the Emmanuel matter and the board’s handling of club business. Brumback claims the grievance process violated club confidentiality rules and was driven by personal animosity from members aligned with prior club leadership.
The lawsuit alleges the original grievance was dismissed in July 2025, but that another complaint was filed against Brumback in August 2025. According to the complaint, a grievance hearing was held in September 2025, and the Board of Governors issued a decision in October 2025.
The complaint claims the board imposed two forms of discipline: a 12-month suspension from all club privileges through October 22, 2026, and a requirement that Brumback pay restitution equal to expenses incurred and paid by the club in connection with the matter.
Brumback alleges the restitution demand was open-ended and not itemized. The complaint claims the club did not specify a dollar amount for more than seven months and did not provide an itemized statement. The lawsuit also claims Brumback filed a timely appeal under the club bylaws, but the board did not schedule the appeal.
In the declaratory relief count, Brumback asks the court to declare that he owes no restitution, fines, fees or charges to Stonebridge related to the Emmanuel matter or the club’s defense or investigation. He also asks the court to declare that the board’s restitution demand is void and unenforceable and that the club had a duty to indemnify him.
In the indemnification count, Brumback claims the club’s bylaws require indemnification for officers, governors and committee members for actions taken during their tenure, subject to legal limits. The lawsuit claims the investigation and defense costs arose from Brumback’s service as club president and should not be charged back to him.
The breach of contract count claims the club violated its bylaws by failing to properly process Brumback’s appeal, imposing an unqualified restitution obligation, failing to itemize charges and violating confidentiality provisions.
The lawsuit seeks declaratory relief, indemnification, damages, reasonable expenses, attorneys’ fees and costs. The complaint states the amount in controversy exceeds $50,000, exclusive of interest, costs and attorneys’ fees.
The filing reviewed by Boca Post does not include a response from Stonebridge Golf and Country Club of Boca Raton, Inc.
Boca Post reviewed the complaint, Daniel Brumback v. Stonebridge Golf and Country Club of Boca Raton, Inc., Case No. 502026CA006214XXXAMB, filed June 3, 2026, in Palm Beach County Circuit Court. The case remains a newly filed civil complaint based on the records reviewed.
New civil lawsuits are filed across Palm Beach County courts each week. Boca Post reports on those filings in its Boca Raton lawsuits coverage.
