A Minnesota woman and her two minor sons face eviction after she refused her landlord’s request to remove a Black Lives Matter sign from her 2nd floor window.
Jessica Kearns is searching for a new apartment in Roseville, Minn., but most landlords don’t accept Section 8 vouchers.
Kearns is white and her two young sons are biracial. She says she wants to keep the two boys, ages 6 and 9, in Roseville schools.
“He never had a problem or a complaint with me in the 14 months I’ve been here,” Kearns told the Star Tribune. “Then two days after I stick up for myself and tell him that there’s nothing in the lease that says I can’t put up a sign, he wants me out.”
Her landlord, Barry Star, gave her 60 days to vacate after she placed the Black Lives Matter sign in the window.
The landlord said he received complaints from other residents in the brownstone.
“I have to think about other tenants and try to protect them and keep them happy,” Star told the newspaper. “The biggest issue is just that her kids are unsupervised and they’re harassing other tenants.”
Star said his rental contract prohibits political or sports-related signage in windows. But the contract may not apply to tenants with lapsed leases. Kearns’ lease lapsed on June 30.
“I’m trying to operate a professional building and having signage denigrates that,” Star said.
Kearns asked Legal Aid for assistance to extend her eviction.
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