Cincinnati - A landlord lost her appeal
with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission January 12th when
she was found to be violating state anti-discrimination laws. Theincident happened on Memorial Day of 2011.
The woman, Jamie Hein, hung a “Public
swimming pool. White only” sign outside her swimming pool and may
have to pay for compensation and punitive costs. She argued the sign
was an antique decoration but the commission dismissed the argument
citing witnesses who said the landlord posted the sign because the
chemicals in the girl's hair “would make the pool cloudy.” The
sign is old, and Ronnell Tomlinson, the commission's housing
enforcement director noted the sign read “Selma, Ala. 14 July 31.”
The commission voted 4-0 against reconsidering their decision and concluded
posting the sign "restricts the social interaction between
Caucasians and African-Americans and reinforces discriminatory
actions aimed at oppressing people of color."
The commission pursued the case after a complaint was filed by a
former tenant by the name of Michael Gunn for a weekend pool party.
His daughter was the only black person at the otherwise all-white
pool. Gunn said Hein questioned him about the "chemicals"
his daughter uses in her hair and accused her for making the pool
water "cloudy." Next week Gunn saw the sign in question
and made the decision to move immediately "as not to expose my
daughter to the sign and humiliation."
Gunn also gave commission officials
copies of texts he claims Hein sent him shortly after he and his
family moved blaming the grease in her hair for the cloudy condition
of the pool.
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