Alphonse Fletcher and the Dakota (Fletcher photo source: NYT)
The co-op board at famed Upper West Side building the Dakota has responded to a lawsuit this week alleging racial discrimination and defamation, according to Gothamist, calling the accusations erroneous. The suit, filed by former board president Alphonse Fletcher, accused the board at One West 72nd Street of using racial slurs during approval hearings and denying some applicants based on their race. A statement from the co-op board said that the suit, which Fletcher brought forward after his request to purchase an additional Dakota unit was denied, holds no merit. “Given that the board twice elected [Fletcher] its president, from 2007 to 2009, it is preposterous to claim that less than a year later it denied his application to purchase an additional apartment based on a racial bias,” the statement reads. “The Dakota has always valued the diversity of our community.” [Gothamist]