Landlord's racial letter sparks complaint

Mar 13,2008 00:00 by UPI
LASALLE, Ontario -- An interracial couple outside Windsor, Ontario, is challenging their landlord over a letter in which a mold complaint was answered with racial references.

Vincent and Rebecca Cardwell of Lasalle told the Windsor Star they informed their landlord a contractor had confirmed their house had a black mold infestation that needed to be addressed quickly, as it was causing respiratory problems among their four children, who range in age from 2 to 14 years old.

In a March 7 written response, landlord Olga Crocker suggested the problem was caused by negligence and ended on a racial note, the newspaper reported.

"May I point out that, realizing that black people and those of mixed relationships have considerable difficulty finding housing, I decided to trust you. Evidently, this was a very stupid mistake on my part."

Contacted by the Star, Crocker claimed she had done nothing wrong.

"In any event, I'm a private individual. I'm entitled to my own prejudices. I'm not the government, I don't hire anyone. Is there a law against being a bigot?" she said.

The Cardwells are preparing complaints to the Landlord and Tenant Board and the Ontario Human Rights Commission, the newspaper said.