Discrimination lawsuit settled

By Barbara Brown
A Harris couple must pay $250,000 to a family, a realtor and a home builder and sell three lots in Whispering Pines development to make up foralleged discriminating against the family because of their disabled son.
Dennis and Susan Gustafson, the developers of Whispering Pines, agreed to pay $250,000 to the family of former Washington County sheriffís deputy Randy Perron and to a developer and realtor.
Perron has been paralyzed for seven years since he had a stroke related to Hodgkins Disease.
Perron, 37, worked for three years as a sheriffís deputy in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
The father of two grew up in Stillwater, the son of John and Louise Perron.
His parents decided to build two homes in Whispering Pines because Randy Perronís physical condition had improved to the point that he could live mostly on his own and the parents wanted to live close to Randy.
Randyís sister Lisa and her husband also decided to build a home in Whispering Pines so the whole family could live close to each other again.
After arranging lot holds on three pieces of property and getting plans for the homes drafted, the Gustafsons refused to sell the lots to the realtor and fired the exclusive builder, thereby stopping the process in its tracks.
According to the governmentís lawsuit, the Gustafsons refused to sell the land because they did not want a home designed for people with disabilities to be built across the street from their own home in the development.
The governmentís complaint also said the Gustafsons changed the covenants of the development shortly after finding out about the handicap-accessible home to disclude a ìgroup homeî from being built in the neighborhood.
The Perron family had planned to allow three roommates with similar physical capabilities as Randy to live in the house.
A health aide was supposed to spend time each day at the house, but no live-in health worker would be there, according to earlier interviews with the Perrons.
In Minnesota, up to four non-related people may live in one house together.
The Perrons filed complaints with state and federal agencies and the U.S. Attorneyís District of Minnesota Office filed a complaint of violation of the Fair Housing Act against the Gustafsons last August.
After months of mediation, on New Yearís Eve, a federal judge signed off on the orders that the Perrons and Gustafsons agreed upon.
The Gustafsons not only must pay the family, realtor Stanley Jakubowski of ReMax and John Kopp of G & K Builders a total of $250,000, but they also must sell the lots to the families for $49,500 each.
The Gustafsons also must not discriminate in the sale or rental of housing again or retaliate against the Perrons.
The settlement also provided for federal monitoring for three years to ensure that the Gustafsons comply with all federal and state anti-discrimination laws.
Also detailed in the consent decree is an order that the Gustafsons file a report every six months detailing information such as the person to whom land would be sold, whether the person making the offer for the land wanted to use it for a group home, a list of all people with whom the Gustafsons have contracts to sell any property or dwelling and all advertisements; among other items.
The order also said the Gustafsons must include the fair housing logo on any advertisements related to development, sale or rental of any property by them in the future.
John Perron said his family is happy the situation has been resolved.
ìWe are absolutely thrilled that this is finished and we are absolutely excited to move into our new houses,î Perron said Monday.
Perron said construction on the three homes is expected to start in the spring with possible move-ins in late July.
ìRandy is so excited,î John Perron said. ìHe just canít wait to get into his new house.î

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