A New York City real estate broker is facing a lawsuit after allegedly sending a racist text message about prospective tenants to a property owner, only to accidentally include one of the Black individuals in the exchange. The incident occurred before the couple had even entered the Queens apartment they intended to rent.
The prospective tenant, Lisa Renee Olaso, recounted the event, stating that as she and her fiancé, Cyril Christopher, were exiting their car for a viewing in Flushing, she received a text message reading, "Ugh they are black." Olaso stated the message was intended for the property owner and was sent by the agent, identified as Helen Tzelios.
Olaso and Christopher, who had relocated from Delaware in June after Olaso secured new employment, were preparing to view an apartment on 26th Avenue. According to court documents, Tzelios allegedly spotted the couple from a distance and sent the text before introducing herself.
Upon seeing the message, Olaso immediately instructed Christopher to return to their car. She then confronted Tzelios, who allegedly provided a disingenuous explanation involving previous Black tenants in the neighborhood who had purportedly caused trouble.
The couple has since filed a lawsuit against Douglas Elliman Realty, Tzelios, and several individuals listed as owners of the property. Their attorney, Kenneth Mollins, suggested that the wording of the text implies the intended recipient understood the racial context, raising questions about the property owner's potential involvement and responsibility.
Douglas Elliman confirmed that Tzelios is no longer affiliated with the company and issued a statement condemning discrimination. "Douglas Elliman has a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind. The agent is no longer with the company," the statement read.
Christopher described the experience as particularly hurtful, emphasizing that the agent appeared to have made a judgment without knowing anything about them. Olaso added that while Tzelios attempted to apologize, the emotional damage had already been inflicted.