The New York City Commission on Human Rights has completed hearings on a complaint by a Spring Valley investment broker that he was refused the sale of a house in Whitestone, Queens, because he is Jewish.
The complainant, Charles Tisman, testified at the hearings that he replied to a newspaper ad for the sale of the house, and after meeting with the occupant John Burke, who, Mr. Tisman said, represented himself as the owner, agreed on a price of $40,000 for the property. Before closing the deal, Mr. Tisman said that Mr. Burke asked him if he was Jewish and when he answered that he was, Mr. Burke said: “I am not selling this property to a Jew,” and ordered Mr. Tisman and his party out of the house. Friends of Mr. Tisman who were present at the time of the conversation, corroborated Mr. Tisman’s testimony.
Mr. Burke testified at the hearing that his wife, not he, was the owner of the house and that he made no religious references during the conversation about the sale of the house. The Commission reserved decision on the case.
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