Panel: Man harassed neighbor over race

Panel finds Pa. man harassed neighbor over race

Eds: Updates with details of complaint, reaction from Concordia, attempt to reach Walton for comment, rarity of complaints involving neighbors.

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM

Associated Press

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — An eastern Pennsylvania man has been ordered to pay nearly $14,000 for yelling racial slurs at his neighbor and threatening to burn her house down.

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission said Dino Concordia of Shillington, Berks County, also ridiculed Kelly Walton over her disability and “continually humiliated her” in front of neighbors and friends, constituting illegal harassment on the basis of race and disability.

Walton, who is black and suffers from neck and spinal injuries, had asked for $8,000 in damages. But the commission said it found Concordia’s behavior so “vile,” “heinous” and “despicable” that he should pay her $10,000.

Concordia must also foot the bill for a 6-foot stockade fence around Walton’s backyard and a raised brick wall between their shared patio, and pay a $1,000 civil penalty, the commission ordered.

Concordia didn’t offer a formal defense to Walton’s allegations. He told The Associated Press on Monday that he did nothing wrong and that he wouldn’t pay Walton a dime.

“That ain’t gonna happen, I can tell you that straight out,” he said.

Walton didn’t immediately return a message from the AP seeking comment.

The Human Relations Commission enforces state laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, religion, age, sex, national origin and disability, among other things. Most of the 4,000 complaints it receives annually are filed by workers against their employers. Only a tiny fraction involves disputes between neighbors, according to spokeswoman Shannon Powers.

“I think part of that is attributable to folks not knowing what their rights are when they are being harassed by their neighbor,” she said. “They have no idea that constitutes illegal discrimination.”