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Mansfield woman wins settlement in housing discrimination lawsuit
by C. R. Clarke
Stephanie Gates of Mansfield was just trying to live her life with her daughter and foster daughter at Corey Creek Apartments four years ago, but because of unfair treatment at the hands of the building manager, her life was made unbearable.
The incident ended up costing the building owner and the manager big bucks.
On Jan. 27 Gates was informed that she won a housing discrimination lawsuit filed with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, who awarded her $25,000 from building owner Ron Laessig and former manager Charles Wood, plus $5,500 in out-of-pocket court costs and attorney's fees. They must also pay her an additional sum of $1,013 for presentation costs associated with the case.
Wood and Laessig were also both ordered to pay civil penalties in the amount of $2,500 and $5,000 respectively.
It all began when Gates, who is African American, rented an apartment at Corey Creek in November, 1999. Her mother, Pearl Smith, a five year tenant of Corey Creek, lived next door. Gates' problems with Wood began early the following year.
"I was renting at Corey Creek in 2000 and there was no problem when I first went to apply," she recalled.
Gates said, at the time, Wood was a good manager.
"After January, 2000, I had my step-son come from Kentucky to stay for a few nights. I was working at my job at Mansfield University and Wood knocked on my door and my step-son, Loquin Tyson, answered the door and he got smart with him and they got into an altercation," she said.
Gates' mother also told Gates that Wood came in and started an argument with her stepson, so she went to see him and subsequently got into an argument about the young man's presence.
"He said 'that's why you n-----s don't need to live in this kind of development,'" she said.
Afterwards, she said, other incidents followed.
"We were living with no heat and no repairs on the apartment. We stayed sick because we didn't have any heat. So I went to the maintenance building to find out what the problem was. Come to find out, he had told the maintenance guys not enter my apartment because 'n-----s don't deserve to live in the development' and they would get fired if they did. So I was heating my apartment by my stove," she recalled.
During a baby shower for her foster daughter, the family was playing games and the police knocked on the door and said there was a report of fighting going on.
"He checked and there was nothing going on so we told him we were going to have another party the next day and the landlord called the cops on me again, even though the party was at my mom's next door," she said.
Gates said that the officer met Wood outside and afterwards the officer told her to take it to court.
"He said that Wood had said some names to me but if I take it to court he would testify, so I took it to human relations," she said.
Another time, Wood reported that there was fighting going on again and there wasn't and again.
"We would have family over for normal visits, but apparently when my brother was playing Play Station with two other friends, he (Wood) called the cops again for fighting and he found it unfounded again," she said.
Gates said during another incident, her sister and her nephew were at her apartment and Wood said something derogatory to them in the hallway.
"My sister slapped him, and then he went on and harassed my 11-year-old daughter and told her she was not allowed to play outside," she said.
Gates recalled that Wood would tell her daughter and her niece to go inside and "she would tell me what happened and I would get into another argument with him."
She said she sent the children across the street into the grass and then Wood told them they aren't allowed to play in the grass.
After the first incident, Gates said she started trying to call Laessig, but, according to Gates, he never returned her calls.
"I was not able to speak with him 'til we were in court, but my phone records showed I had tried to call him several times," she said.
After about a year of putting up with the harassment, Gates finally filed her complaints with the Human Relations Commission in November, 2000. She moved out that fall when she was notified that her lease was up and Laessig did not intend to renew it.
"I was getting tired of it so I applied for human relations and we have been back and forth in court having hearings," she said.
Helping her with those hearings was Wellsboro attorney Jarett Smith, who she hired in January of last year.
"This case shows there is no place for racism in America, even in Tioga County," he said in a brief telephone interview.
The last hearing was in June, 2003 when Laessig and Wood were found guilty of housing discrimination.
Wood, who still lives in Mansfield, is retired. He had no comment when contacted Wednesday morning, Feb. 4.
Mansfield University Foundation is considering purchasing the building from Laessig, who is having it remodeled for student housing.
The two men have 30 days to come into compliance with the ruling, which includes posting fair housing signs at all apartment complexes owned by Laessig.
The incident ended up costing the building owner and the manager big bucks.
On Jan. 27 Gates was informed that she won a housing discrimination lawsuit filed with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, who awarded her $25,000 from building owner Ron Laessig and former manager Charles Wood, plus $5,500 in out-of-pocket court costs and attorney's fees. They must also pay her an additional sum of $1,013 for presentation costs associated with the case.
Wood and Laessig were also both ordered to pay civil penalties in the amount of $2,500 and $5,000 respectively.
It all began when Gates, who is African American, rented an apartment at Corey Creek in November, 1999. Her mother, Pearl Smith, a five year tenant of Corey Creek, lived next door. Gates' problems with Wood began early the following year.
"I was renting at Corey Creek in 2000 and there was no problem when I first went to apply," she recalled.
Gates said, at the time, Wood was a good manager.
"After January, 2000, I had my step-son come from Kentucky to stay for a few nights. I was working at my job at Mansfield University and Wood knocked on my door and my step-son, Loquin Tyson, answered the door and he got smart with him and they got into an altercation," she said.
Gates' mother also told Gates that Wood came in and started an argument with her stepson, so she went to see him and subsequently got into an argument about the young man's presence.
"He said 'that's why you n-----s don't need to live in this kind of development,'" she said.
Afterwards, she said, other incidents followed.
"We were living with no heat and no repairs on the apartment. We stayed sick because we didn't have any heat. So I went to the maintenance building to find out what the problem was. Come to find out, he had told the maintenance guys not enter my apartment because 'n-----s don't deserve to live in the development' and they would get fired if they did. So I was heating my apartment by my stove," she recalled.
During a baby shower for her foster daughter, the family was playing games and the police knocked on the door and said there was a report of fighting going on.
"He checked and there was nothing going on so we told him we were going to have another party the next day and the landlord called the cops on me again, even though the party was at my mom's next door," she said.
Gates said that the officer met Wood outside and afterwards the officer told her to take it to court.
"He said that Wood had said some names to me but if I take it to court he would testify, so I took it to human relations," she said.
Another time, Wood reported that there was fighting going on again and there wasn't and again.
"We would have family over for normal visits, but apparently when my brother was playing Play Station with two other friends, he (Wood) called the cops again for fighting and he found it unfounded again," she said.
Gates said during another incident, her sister and her nephew were at her apartment and Wood said something derogatory to them in the hallway.
"My sister slapped him, and then he went on and harassed my 11-year-old daughter and told her she was not allowed to play outside," she said.
Gates recalled that Wood would tell her daughter and her niece to go inside and "she would tell me what happened and I would get into another argument with him."
She said she sent the children across the street into the grass and then Wood told them they aren't allowed to play in the grass.
After the first incident, Gates said she started trying to call Laessig, but, according to Gates, he never returned her calls.
"I was not able to speak with him 'til we were in court, but my phone records showed I had tried to call him several times," she said.
After about a year of putting up with the harassment, Gates finally filed her complaints with the Human Relations Commission in November, 2000. She moved out that fall when she was notified that her lease was up and Laessig did not intend to renew it.
"I was getting tired of it so I applied for human relations and we have been back and forth in court having hearings," she said.
Helping her with those hearings was Wellsboro attorney Jarett Smith, who she hired in January of last year.
"This case shows there is no place for racism in America, even in Tioga County," he said in a brief telephone interview.
The last hearing was in June, 2003 when Laessig and Wood were found guilty of housing discrimination.
Wood, who still lives in Mansfield, is retired. He had no comment when contacted Wednesday morning, Feb. 4.
Mansfield University Foundation is considering purchasing the building from Laessig, who is having it remodeled for student housing.
The two men have 30 days to come into compliance with the ruling, which includes posting fair housing signs at all apartment complexes owned by Laessig.
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