An elderly disabled white Jewish man who cares for his disabled son is suing over racial and ethnic discrimination, which he said precipitated his eviction from a senior living facility populated predominantly by African-Americans.
Christopher Stoller filed a complaint June 22 in Cook County Circuit Court against Senior Lifestyle Management Corp.; co-founder and chairman William Kaplan; President and CEO Jon DeLuca; Vice Presidents Keven Dennema and Lisa Reed; Norwood Park Property Manager Tayetta Taylor; Assistant Manager Dawn Shannon; the Law Firm of Kovitz, Shifrin and Nesbit; attorneys Wendy Durkin, Pamela Parks, Robert Nesbit, Alan Kovitz and Jordan Shifrin, an unknown detective agency, an unknown process server, and 20 John Does.
Stoller, 66, allowed his nephew, Michael Stoller, a 23-year-old who is also disabled, to live with him, under a court order. Christopher Stoller, who had lived since February 2014 at Senior Suites apartments, 6045 W. Grand Ave., in Chicago's Belmont Cragin neighborhood, alleges the defendants subjected him to discrimination, racial slurs, and physical and emotional abuse during his time there.
The discrimination ultimately led to him and his son being evicted from the premises, the lawsuit states, allegedly due to them being white and Jewish in a predominantly African-American complex.
Despite complaining to management and ownership, the lawsuit states, the discrimination and verbal abuse from fellow tenants and management never abated, the lawsuit states.
The plaintiffs, citing deceptive business practices, aiding and abetting, indirect criminal contempt, fraud, conversion, intentional infliction of emotional distress, willful and wanton misconduct, and negligence, seek damages of more than $8 million, plus costs. The plaintiff is self-represented.
Cook County Circuit Court Case No. 2015L006334.