Jury sides with state commission against landlord in bias case

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A Vermont civil jury has awarded more than $14,000 to a woman found to have been a victim of discrimination because a landlord wouldn’t rent a house to her and her child.

The state Human Rights Commission announced that it successfully sued Larry Drown of Northfield, owner of a two-bedroom home in Marshfield. Drown had advertised the house for rent in 2004, but posted a sign in front of it that said, “NO SMOKING, NO PETS, NO KIDS.”

It’s against Vermont law to refuse to rent to someone with children.

Drown said he did so because there was a river behind the house and he would worry about the safety of children.

The potential tenant told the commission she offered to install a fence to keep her daughter away from the river, but he still refused to rent to her.

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