Ohio landlord appeals ruling on her bigotry, her “Whites Only” sign
A landlord wants the Ohio Civil Rights Commission on Thursday to reconsider its finding that she violated the law by posting a “white only” sign at her swimming pool. Jamie Hein has asked the commission to reverse its initial ruling that found she violated the Ohio Civil Rights Act by putting up a sign that read “Public Swimming Pool, White Only” at her Cincinnati duplex.
The commission, meeting this week in Columbus, concluded last year that the sign “restricts the social contact between Caucasians and African Americans as well as reinforcing discrimination actions that are aimed at oppressing all ‘people of color.’”
The case was brought by Michael Gunn, a white man who said had unrestricted access to the pool area for himself and his guests during the nearly two years he lived in the duplex, he said in a December interview.
Gunn, a software engineer, said he and his girlfriend, who is also white, lived upstairs; their 31-year-old landlord lived downstairs. However, he said their relationship soured in May 2011 when he invited his 10-year-old biracial daughter to visit and swim in the pool…”Days later, the owner posted a sign on the gate to the pool which read, ‘Public Swimming Pool, White Only.’”
Hein said she received the sign from a friend and posted it in early May, the summary says. Several people interviewed by the commission staff confirmed that they had seen the sign, it added.
Hein did not respond to a request for comment at the time. But she told ABC News in December that she collects antiques. She said the sign, which was dated 1931 and from Alabama, was a gift from a friend…
It’s as American as apple pie. Collecting historic memorabilia for racism and bigotry.
Reminds me of nothing more than a job I held at New Orleans International Airport back in the day. The administration of the airport had never painted over signs in the engineering department for separate restrooms for “colored” and “white” employees. The excuse was they’d have to paint the whole department to make it look uniform. “The old signs would eventually fade away”.
Meanwhile, they reminded every employee of the cultural heritage of bigotry in Louisiana every day of the week. One of my closest friends there – a Black man of Jamaican heritage – arranged our own daily ritual when I would pee in the colored restroom and he would pee in the whites restroom. Then join to applaud the venture immediately afterwards. Laughter at backwards fools always helps.
