Public Swimming Pool - White Only

81

Just wow. :roll:


http://l.yimg.com/os/152/2012/01/13/pool_010110.jpg

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A Cincinnati landlord who claimed a black girl's hair products clouded an apartment complex's swimming pool discriminated against the child by posting a poolside "White Only" sign, an Ohio civil rights panel said Thursday in upholding a previous finding.

The Ohio Civil Rights Commission voted 4-0 against reconsidering its finding from last fall. There was no discussion.

The group found on Sept. 29 that Jamie Hein, who is white, violated the Ohio Civil Rights Act by posting the sign at a pool at the duplex where the teenage girl was visiting her parents.

The parents filed a discrimination charge with the commission and moved out of the duplex in the racially diverse city to "avoid subjecting their family to further humiliating treatment," the commission said in a release announcing its finding.

An investigation revealed that Hein in May posted on the gated entrance to the pool an iron sign that stated "Public Swimming Pool, White Only," the commission statement said.

Several witnesses confirmed that the sign was posted, and the landlord indicated that she posted it because the girl used chemicals in her hair that would make the pool "cloudy," according to the commission.

Hein told the commission she received the sign from a friend, and Ronnell Tomlinson, the commission's housing enforcement director, said at Thursday's hearing it was an antique. The sign says "Selma, Ala.," at the bottom, followed by the date "14 July 31."

The girl's father, Michael Gunn, in brief comments Thursday, described his shock last spring when venturing out for a lunch break by the pool.

"My initial reaction to seeing the sign was of shock, disgust and outrage," Gunn said. He also told the commission that his daughter was saddened months later to learn the reason they moved from the apartment complex "was in a way related to the color of her skin." Gunn declined to speak with reporters.

Hein's attorney, who informed the commission by email Wednesday that Hein would not attend the hearing, did not return phone and email messages Wednesday and Thursday from The Associated Press. A recording on Thursday said Hein's voicemail was full and could not accept messages.

"I was trying to protect my assets," she told the commission's housing enforcement director in a Sept. 27 interview.

Racial discrimination has particular resonance in Cincinnati, whose population is 45 percent black, far higher than the rest of Ohio, which is about 12 percent black. Surrounding Hamilton County is 26 percent black.

Cincinnati was the scene of race riots in April 2001 when police and demonstrators clashed in a blighted neighborhood following the shooting of a black suspect by police.

The commission's statement said that its investigation concluded that the posting of such a sign "restricts the social interaction between Caucasians and African-Americans and reinforces discriminatory actions aimed at oppressing people of color."

It still would be possible for the parties to reach a settlement overseen by the commission before any legal action is taken.

If those discussions don't bear fruit, the commission would issue a formal complaint and refer the matter to the Ohio attorney general's office, which would represent the commission's findings before an administrative law judge. That judge would determine any penalties, which could include a cease-and-desist order and punitive damages.

Any decision by the administrative judge could be appealed to Hamilton County Common Pleas Court in Cincinnati.

Yellow Ledbelly

The most amazing thing to me is that I was under the impression that the south was the only portion of the country with ignorant bigots

mikalina

I heard this on the news radio this morning.... :roll:

_

Yellow Ledbelly wrote:

The most amazing thing to me is that I was under the impression that the south was the only portion of the country with ignorant bigots

Where are you from?

Yellow Ledbelly

Mississippi. I was of course being sarcastic.

_

Yellow Ledbelly wrote:

Mississippi. I was of course being sarcastic.

Gotcha. I didn't catch the sarcasm at first.

Johnny Abruzzo

Yellow Ledbelly wrote:

The most amazing thing to me is that I was under the impression that the south was the only portion of the country with ignorant bigots

Cincinnati is kind of southern, even though it's in Ohio, but being from Philadelphia I can confirm the south is clearly NOT the only portion of the country with ignorant bigots (in both directions).

rival.

black or white, who the fuck goes swimming in ohio in january?

Yellow Ledbelly

Johnny Abruzzo wrote:

Yellow Ledbelly wrote:

The most amazing thing to me is that I was under the impression that the south was the only portion of the country with ignorant bigots

Cincinnati is kind of southern, even though it's in Ohio, but being from Philadelphia I can confirm the south is clearly NOT the only portion of the country with ignorant bigots (in both directions).

I would actualy argue that the vast majority of the deep south has better race relations than the rest of the country. That's a broad statement I realize, but, aside from the occasional incident, things in Mississippi are quite good on that front. I've just always had an issue with the national media continuing to attempt to paint the south in the same light as was true 50 years ago while ignoring the obvious fact that that sort of shit isn't exclusive to the south.

RKCNDY

So a simple: "Please shower or wear a swimming cap before entering the pool" sign wouldn't suffice?

...and in regards to 'race relations' unless you aren't white, I don't think you have anything to contribute ...many times there are 'underlying' racial tensions.

Mamasan23

Shut this cess pool down.

Yellow Ledbelly

I am of the opinion that if you believe there is no way a black person can be filled with bigotry and racism that you have nothing to add. But hey, it doesn't matter...we get along damn well round here

photogirlliz

"I was trying to protect my assets"... :? :wtf: Maybe she should have thought about that a bit more thoroughly before she decided to discriminate and post a 'White's Only' sign. Insane!

PureandEasy

Yellow Ledbelly wrote:

I am of the opinion that if you believe there is no way a black person can be filled with bigotry and racism that you have nothing to add. But hey, it doesn't matter...we get along damn well round here

I saw this too and was like, really, you didn't think there was a problem with posting that sign?

My boss is a black woman and her daughter is married to a white man. We were just talking yesterday and she told me how her one brother is not welcome in her home anymore because of the way he treats her son-in-law and the names he calls him.l

An old friend of mine, who I've known for years, once said something very racially insensitive while we were all at a super bowl party. I said, are you going to raise your children like that, and she DAMN STRAIGHT I am.

I've barely spoken to her since. But as long as people are passing these prejudices on to their children, it will never end.

It's sad.

There are good people of all races, and bad people of all races.

dcfaithful

When you do something like this and stand back and look at the sign, how can you honestly say to yourself "Yeah, this is a good idea and will definitely work."

Holy fucking hell, you dolt. Have you not paid any attention to anything in your years of existence?

_

Yellow Ledbelly wrote:

I would actualy argue that the vast majority of the deep south has better race relations than the rest of the country. That's a broad statement I realize, but, aside from the occasional incident, things in Mississippi are quite good on that front. I've just always had an issue with the national media continuing to attempt to paint the south in the same light as was true 50 years ago while ignoring the obvious fact that that sort of shit isn't exclusive to the south.

I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. The stereotype that racism is particular to the south comes from ignorance. And people conveniently forget that the south has by far the highest percentage of non-white people than any other part of the country. I'd rather be a black person in Jackson, MS, where 80% of the population is black, than in Albuquerque, NM, where 3% of the population is black.

number1PJfan

:shock: Wow!, just, wow!