Discrimination case against co-op board goes to court

A discrimination suit against the co-op board at 8300 Talbot Street in Queens is going to court next month, according to plaintiff Estelle Torino. In the suit, which was filed in 2006, she and fellow plaintiff Kevin Uhrin accused the board of denying them basic home repairs and using homophobic slurs toward them. Uhrin settled his claim in June. He said that the problems began when the building’s broken terrace leaked into three units, each owned by gay couples. Subsequent repairs to the terrace caused damage to several units that the co-op board refused to fix. Further, Uhrin said that a set of fliers he distributed throughout the building were defaced with a homophobic epithet and that some board members called him homophobic slurs. A representative for the co-op board, who declined to have his identity revealed, claims that the allegations are false. The representative said that the residents were not denied repairs, but rather would not yield access to their homes for the necessary work.