A Virginia jury has delivered a $750,000 verdict against a landlord who evicted two families from her Smith Mountain Lake property after discovering one of the tenants was Black, state officials announced.
The ruling is the largest fair housing jury award ever obtained by the Virginia Office of the Attorney General. The previous record was a $200,000 judgment in a 2011 sexual harassment case.
Attorney General Jason Miyares confirmed the verdict against Regina Turner, the owner of Lazy Cove Campground in Penhook. Court filings suggested that Turner had leased lots on her lakefront property to families for years. But when a white couple invited their friends — an interracial married couple with a young child — to rent the adjacent lot, the situation turned into a case of racial discrimination.
The white wife successfully negotiated a lease with Turner. But once Turner saw that the woman’s husband was Black, the state argued, she moved quickly to evict both families, stating she would not have agreed to the rental had she known.
“These families experienced blatant discrimination, and Virginia will not stand for it,” Miyares said. “The people of Franklin County have spoken: Smith Mountain Lake is for everyone.”
The jury took less than two hours to reach its decision, awarding $100,000 each to both families for emotional distress and financial losses. The panel awarded another $550,000 in punitive damages to hold Turner accountable for her conduct and to send a message to others who may attempt similar acts.
Senior Assistant Attorney General Todd M. Shockley prosecuted the case, with support from Assistant Attorneys General Joel B. Taubman and Brittany Sadler Berky and Civil Rights Unit Section Chief Christine Lambrou Johnson.
“It was like a sigh of relief, but at the same time, I’m still angry because we never should have had to go through this,” said Damien Smith, among those evicted. “It was 2020 at the time, and somehow, we’re still getting judged by the color of our skin versus the kind of person we are.”
This is a stark reminder of the serious consequences of housing discrimination. A $750,000 penalty is a significant sum, and it underscores the importance of adhering to fair housing laws. It’s crucial for all landlords to understand their legal obligations and to ensure their practices are completely unbiased. This case should serve as a wake-up call for anyone in the rental business to review their policies and training to prevent any form of discrimination. Thanks for highlighting this important and costly lesson.