Virginia campground ordered to pay families for discrimination

A jury has ordered a Virginia campground to pay two families $750,000 for discrimination against a Black camper. The families were affected during a planned trip to Lazy Cove Campground in June 2020. Amanda Mills and Angela Smith had made arrangements to camp together with their families. Smith, who is white, included her Black husband, Damien Smith, and their son on the trip. However, after the campground's owner, Regina Turner, found out Damien was Black, she allegedly told Mills that she would not have rented the lot to them had she known this information. Court documents reveal that Turner expressed concerns to another tenant about the possibility of evicting the families. She reportedly said that taking action could lead to legal trouble for her. Following these events, the Virginia Attorney General’s Office and the Virginia Fair Housing Board filed a civil suit against Turner. The jury awarded each family $100,000 for their losses, along with $550,000 in punitive damages. Damien Smith shared his feelings about the ruling, expressing relief but also frustration that discrimination still exists in 2020. Attorney General Jason Miyares praised the jury's decision, noting its significance for the community. The $750,000 verdict is the largest for a fair housing case in Virginia to date. Turner’s lawyer has filed a motion to overturn the verdict, and the next hearing is set for April 8. Turner maintains that she did not evict the families and claims the campground is now open to all people, despite past beliefs.