Illinois Black man was asked to prove his residency at his own apartment complex pool, and he has one question: ‘Who brings ID to a swimming pool?’

Update on Aug 19: Arden Living reached out to us with the following statement: “We are deeply upset about the extensive misinformation being shared on social media about our company and the doxing of our innocent employees. Our company has a long history of serving diverse communities, and we proudly employ individuals of many racial and ethnic backgrounds. We do not condone or tolerate discrimination of any kind, and to falsely portray this incident as discrimination is reckless and harmful to our tenants and our community.

Prior to Mr. Leo Sullivan’s stay, he acknowledged the requirement to obtain a pool pass at the front desk before entering the pool area. The CCTV footage shows that he and four other unrelated individuals at the pool were all asked to show an ID or their pool pass as required to ensure security for our tenants and guests.

Our employee simply followed established property policies that are applied equally to all residents and guests. Since Mr. Sullivan never checked in with the front desk upon his arrival (as he agreed to do), never obtained a pool pass, falsely identified himself as a tenant, and never provided ID when politely asked, staff had no way to identify him as a guest, so authorities were called to help resolve the situation.

Unfortunately, instead of easily resolving the matter, Mr. Sullivan chose to escalate the situation, falsely portray the incident on social media, mischaracterize our staff and now has put lives in danger. We treated Mr. Sullivan with respect and professionalism, as we do with all tenants and guests, and will always maintain a welcoming and safe environment for all.”

Original report: A video showing a woman questioning a man about his residency at an Illinois apartment complex pool has ignited a significant debate after circulating on X, Daily Dot reported. The footage, which originated on Facebook from Leo Sullivan, depicts a woman approaching him and his children while they are at the pool.

Sullivan claims in his post that the woman and another person contacted the police because his family was the only Black family present. He explains that even after he provided proof of his residency at the complex, the woman continued to demand his identification. He points out the absurdity of the situation by writing, “Who brings ID to a swimming pool?”

When the police arrived, Sullivan told them he was not required to show identification. He wrote, “I paid good money like everyone else, except I am Black.” According to Sullivan, the woman smiled at the response from the officers and refused to provide her name when he asked for it. He further stated that the police were called on him a second time that day when he went to the front desk of the complex. Sullivan noted that the experience was difficult for his children, and he observed the woman “begin smiling more” after she noticed one of his kids crying.

He is currently considering legal action regarding the incident

The online response to the video has been divided. Some users have pushed back against the claim that the interaction was racially motivated without having more information. One commenter wrote, “If it’s a private complex and she’s checking residency (common rule), then calling it racist just because the family is Black is lazy. The kid looking upset sucks either way, but rules aren’t racism by default.”

Racist Karen calls the cops on the only black family at the pool after demanding their ID to prove they’re residents
by u/New_Libran in PublicFreakout

Others have argued that the situation is a serious concern if the description is accurate. One person wrote, “If accurate, this would be a deeply troubling situation. Incidents involving people being singled out or treated differently based on race can have a serious impact, especially on children who witness them. The full context and any investigation would be important in understanding what happened and determining accountability.”

Support for Sullivan has even come from international observers. One person from Europe wrote, “I’m not American but I respect you for standing up for yourself. It’s a shame you have to deal with this in 2026, but know that you are no different from anyone else regardless of such bad experiences. I hope your children won’t have to deal with this in the future. All the best from Europe. We also need to step it up here.”

It is worth noting that the events, including the motivation behind the confrontation and the details of the police response, have not been independently verified by us.