Woman claims co-op rejected her application because she is pregnant

A “visibly pregnant” woman who bought a Staten Island co-op at a July auction sued the building’s board for rejecting her application, the New York Post reported. Elena Slukina, who filed the lawsuit, claims that she was rejected because she’s pregnant.

Slukina, currently a Murray Hill resident, allegedly got heated questions regarding her family planning. According to the lawsuit, co-op Board President Maria Civille, along with other board members, “expressed their concern that a child growing up in the building might affect other tenants’ peace and quiet.”

There are reportedly several families with children living in the building currently. Civille allegedly claimed that the building’s thin walls and floors mean noise will travel. She was allegedly reluctant to approve Slukina’s application, which “would bring a potentially noisy child in [an] otherwise quiet co-op.” Slukina’s application later got rejected and the co-op has yet to find a buyer for the unit Slukina was to buy.

Co-op boards don’t have to give a reason for rejecting an applicant, however it remains illegal to discriminate based on family status.

Civille did not respond to the Post’s message seeking comment. [Post] — Zachary Kussin