New York couple arrives for an apartment viewing. Then the broker allegedly sends the woman a text meant for the owner: ‘Ugh they are black’

Lisa Renee Olaso and her fiancé Cyril Christopher arrived at a Flushing, Queens apartment on 26th Avenue for a viewing they had arranged. The couple had relocated from Delaware in June after Olaso began a new job, according to the Daily Mail.

They expected to meet a Douglas Elliman broker outside the building. Court documents indicate the situation developed before either of them entered the unit.

As the pair stepped out of their car, Olaso received a text that court papers describe as intended for the property owner. The message allegedly read, “Ugh they are black.”

Couple files lawsuit after alleged text reaches the prospective renter

Olaso said at a press conference that she directed Christopher to get back in the car at once. She then approached the broker, identified as Helen Tzelios, to question her about the message. Olaso stated that Tzelios looked at her phone and started talking about earlier Black tenants in the neighborhood who had caused trouble. The couple subsequently sued Tzelios, Douglas Elliman Realty, and several individuals listed as the property’s owners.

Their attorney, Kenneth Mollins, said the wording of the text raised questions about the intended recipient. He stated, “Unless the person receiving the text gets it in some context to know why she’s sending that. So, we believe the homeowner was in some way responsible here.”

Douglas Elliman confirmed that Tzelios is no longer with the company. In a statement, the firm said, “Douglas Elliman has a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind. The agent is no longer with the company.”

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, sex, national origin, religion, disability, or familial status. Violations can result in civil penalties, federal lawsuits, and possible license suspension, according to available information. Disputes over race inside residential buildings have also sparked heated debate online, including when an older couple accused of racism threatened to call police on a woman waiting for her client. 

Christopher said the incident felt especially painful because the broker seemed to form an opinion without speaking to them. He stated, “It’s like judging a book by its cover. You haven’t even read the book, and you already made a judgment call.” Olaso said Tzelios attempted an apology, but the words did not remove the harm. She said, “It doesn’t change the pain. It doesn’t take away the pain that you caused us that day.”