Released on = March 29, 2006, 8:59 am

Press Release Author = DatingServices-Online.net

Industry = Entertainment

Press Release Summary = Find out the story about lawyer who sue eHarmony

Press Release Body = A man separated from his wife but not quite divorced is suing
the popular online matchmaker eHarmony for refusing to help him find a date.

John Claassen, a 36-year-old lawyer from Emeryville, filed a lawsuit in Alameda
County Superior Court alleging eHarmony abridged his civil rights by refusing to
match him up. He said the company, which has an \"unmarried only\" policy, broke state
law by discriminating against him based on his marital status.

Claassen, who is seeking $12,000 in civil penalties, said Monday he expects his
divorce to be official in about two months, but that he shouldn\'t have to wait until
then to use eHarmony. It should be up to would-be dates to decide whether to pass
him over because he is technically still married, he said.

\"I think ultimately California civil rights laws leave those sorts of choices to the
individual rather than to business establishments,\" he said. \"Any user can decide
who they\'re looking for, and if they want to make a choice based on marital status,
I don\'t see why they can\'t do that.\"

A spokesman for Pasadena-based eHarmony did not immediately return a telephone call
for comment on the lawsuit.

An e-mail Claassen said he received from the company\'s customer service department
explained that \"we have to create rules based on what\'s best for most people, most
of the time.\" It says eHarmony is in the business of matching singles \"free of
relationship commitments.\"

The stance is based on customer surveys that show the vast majority of users want
their matches to be divorced, widowed or never married at all, according to the
company. Claassen would be welcome to join \"once your divorce is final,\" the e-mail
stated.

EHarmony\'s policy against still-wed singles is at odds with some other online dating
services. Match.com allows users to state in their online profiles whether they were
never married, are widowed, currently separated or divorced.

Claassen and his wife of eight years separated in May, and he expects the divorce to
be final within two months.

\"I just think I\'ve got a right as an individual trying to recover from something
that wasn\'t the high point of my life,\" Claassen said in a telephone interview
Monday. \"If that includes dating now, why can\'t I?\"

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