Opinion ID: 2090001
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Evidence of Discrimination

Text: Counts III and IV of ESS's complaint allege that appellees interrupted, terminated, refused and failed to initiate and conduct, and required different terms for, a transaction in real property ... for wrongfully discriminatory reasons. Although these claims were dismissed prior to trial, ESS nevertheless elicited testimony regarding appellees' alleged discriminatory animus. At trial, Mr. Smith, the attorney for ESS, testified that he met with Asadoorian shortly after receiving the March 31 letter and was told, in response to his query as to why obtaining the approval was so difficult, that [w]e don't like to lease to Orientals because they keep their shops dirty.... We like the way Emanuel [Skinarakis] runs his shop. He has a nice shop .... We're trying to sell it to a Greek. Mr. Skinarakis testified that, during pendency of the proposed assignment to Mrs. Chung, Asadoorian told him, between you and I, my company doesn't like Oriental people, especially in the International Square we have Koreans ... And they are dirty. And they change the menu. Then they're filthy. And they change the concept of the restaurant. Mrs. Chung's counsel, Mr. Mallios, testified that he did not think there was any exceptional treatment of the Chungs or of Orientals generally in his previous dealings with Asadoorian.