|
to
Press Releases
Lawyers'
Committee for Civil
Rights Under Law
1401 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20005
For
Immediate Release
Contact: Diane Gross
202-662-8600
November
21, 2002
Housing
Lawsuit Filed By African-American Mothers and their
Children Alleging Race Discrimination and Harassment
in Greenville, NC
GREENVILLE, NC – Today, six African-American
mothers and their children filed a civil rights lawsuit
against the owners and managers of the Glendale Court
Apartments (“Glendale Court”) in Greenville,
North Carolina, alleging that they were subjected
to unrelenting harassment and discrimination based
on their race, color, sex, and familial status. All
of the plaintiffs in the case, which was filed in
Pitt County Superior Court, are either current or
former tenants of Glendale Court. Representing the
plaintiffs in this lawsuit is the Lawyers’ Committee
for Civil Rights Under Law (“Lawyers’ Committee”),
a national civil rights legal organization working
to eradicate discrimination in both public and private
housing. The plaintiffs are also being represented
by the law firms of Edelstein and Payne in Raleigh,
North Carolina, and Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi
in Washington, D.C.
The
lawsuit alleges that the former on-site property manager
of Glendale Court, Vickie Harris of Ayden, North Carolina,
harassed the plaintiffs and other residents by constantly
hurling racial epithets at them, making discriminatory
statements to and about them, and imposing harsher
requirements on them than on white tenants. It is
also alleged that, as part of her campaign of harassment,
Ms. Harris went so far as to attempt to run over the
African-American children with her van as they waited
for their school bus at the bus stop at Glendale Court
and to have one of the plaintiffs falsely arrested.
According to the complaint, the management company
for Glendale Court – Thetford Property Management
of Raleigh, North Carolina - failed to take action
to protect the plaintiffs from Ms. Harris’ discriminatory
conduct, although being repeatedly requested to do
so. As a result, it is alleged that the plaintiffs
had to endure Ms. Harris’ discrimination and
illegal conduct for years until she was ultimately
terminated in March, 2000.
“No
one should have to live under the oppressive conditions
that we endured at Glendale Court,” stated plaintiff
Kimberly Holloway. “It is because of Vickie Harris
and her outrageous conduct, that my family and I were
forced to move out of Glendale Court just so that
we could live in peace, ” she added.
“This
is the one of the most egregious cases of housing
discrimination that we have encountered in recent
years,” commented Barbara R. Arnwine, Executive
Director of the Lawyers’ Committee. “I find
it extremely troubling that the discrimination faced
by the plaintiffs here still occurs, but since this
is a reality for many, it is imperative that organizations
like the Lawyers’ Committee continue to work
for fair housing in this country,” Arnwine added.
In
their complaint, the plaintiffs allege that Vickie
Harris and the owners and management company of Glendale
Court violated the North Carolina Fair Housing Act
and that Glendale Court’s owner and management
company failed to properly train and supervise Ms.
Harris or take appropriate action to protect the plaintiffs
from her. Plaintiffs filed this lawsuit because they
believe the management company and owners must take
seriously the complaints of their tenants and take
appropriate action to correct problems such as those
alleged in the lawsuit.
for
a copy of the complaint, click here
top
to Press Releases
|
