A black couple from Gainsville in northern Georgia cited a portion of civil rights-era legislation that is usually used as protection against discriminatory landlords in their suit against the city and a racist neighbor.
Gregory and Sophia Bonds claim to have been subjected to verbal abuse from their neighbor, Roy Turner Jr., ever since they moved into their new rental home back in February 2012, according to Fox News.
When asked about the lawsuit, Turner said that he wasn't aware about it, adding that he was just joking around and the comments weren't malicious in nature.
"I said 'porch monkey,'" he told the Associated Press with a chuckle. "That's just a joking-around term."
However, the Bonds family say that it was no joke, claiming Turner frequently hurled insults while on the job with the city's solid waste department.
The lawsuit details over 12 unique cases of the harassment, including the final instance when Turner came inside the Bonds' yard while they had company and proceeded to hit a tree with a bat while yelling racial slurs, causing the family to move out of the neighborhood.
The lawsuit alleges that the city was aware of his actions, but the most it ever did was fire him from his job on Oct. 23, 2012.
In light of Turner's harassment and the city's inaction, the Bonds filed a suit citing a provision of the federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 that says it's illegal to coerce, intimidate, threaten or interfere with someone who is exercising or enjoying any right guaranteed by that law, reported the Chattanooga Times Free Press. The law generally protects against cross burnings, bombs or other physical attacks, but may also be applied to verbal attacks as well.
The mayor couldn't be reached for comment about the case, saying he couldn't comment on pending litigation.
