Two families were recently awarded $750,000 after a Virginia campground owner was found guilty of discrimination against them because one of the campers was Black.
Amanda Mills and Angela Smith had planned a joint family camping trip to Lazy Cove Campground in June 2020. Smith, who is white, was bringing her husband, Damien Smith, who is Black, and their 8-year-old son to join Mills’ family. But things took a turn when they received a call from the campground owner, Regina Turner.
According to a complaint filed with the Virginia Fair Housing Board, Turner told Mills, “You didn’t tell me that your friend’s husband is Black.” Turner allegedly added, “Had I known, I wouldn’t have rented the lot to them. I saw the son, but I figured everyone makes a mistake.”
The court documents also revealed Turner’s discriminatory behavior went further, as she reportedly told another tenant she wanted to delay evicting them, saying, “I can’t make them move now because if I give both of them moving notices now, they could take my park from me. I’m smart, you know, and I’ve got to use my head.”
As a result of Turner’s actions, the Virginia Attorney General’s Office and the Virginia Fair Housing Board filed a civil suit against her. The jury awarded the families $100,000 each for their losses, along with an additional $550,000 in punitive damages.
