Los Altos homeowner’s discrimination suit dismissed

A federal choose has dismissed a lawsuit by a Los Altos resident charging racial discrimination in opposition to Asian and Indian homeowners in the city’s housing selections.

Satish Ramachandran claimed in the go well with city personnel made use of a racial slur against him and some others, and systematically refused to approve making renovations for Asian and Indian homeowners, even though approving a comparable venture by a White house owner.

But U.S. District Choose Beth Labson Freeman this 7 days “]turned down most of the allegations in the suit, crafting “this is a neighbor dispute gone horribly incorrect.” Freeman dismissed claims made from the Town of Los Altos, numerous town workforce, the metropolis regulation firm and neighbor Pam Jacobs.

The judge dominated the statements were significantly similar to an earlier federal suit by Ramachandran which was also dismissed. The case was dispatched with prejudice, blocking a return of the statements in a different accommodate.

“When neighbors who share a fence have a assets dispute, possibilities for resolution are
constrained,” Freeman wrote in the 20-web site determination. The proper way, she famous, was to strategy the town to take care of the troubles.

The dispute arose from home renovations undertaken by Ramachandran, an Indian-born entrepreneur and Los Altos homeowner because 1993. The prepared dwelling challenge started in 2013, and included enhancements to his patio, a kitchen area remodel and the conversion of a garage into a living house.

The renovations and a neighbor’s yard framework grew to become the middle of a very long-operating dispute involving Ramachandran, his neighbors and metropolis workers, according to court documents. The renovations and a property line dispute grew to become central to two federal and a single state lawsuit.

Ramachandran claimed in the fit a metropolis worker became hostile when inspecting his home. “Why do you dwell listed here? Why really don’t you shift to San Jose?” and yelled “Go back to India!”  Ramachandran submitted public records requests, and claimed at minimum a dozen other Indian and Asian property owners had house initiatives rejected by the town, although a very similar job submitted by a White household was accepted.

Los Altos officials denied the claims of discrimination, stating inhabitants are taken care of equally when the metropolis receives code enforcement issues. A city spokesperson stated Los Altos was happy with the conclusion.

Ramachandran reported the concern of discrimination was critical to deliver to the court. “I’m preventing for a thing considerably larger than myself,” he reported soon after discovering most of his accommodate had been dismissed.

One particular new claim, that town officers dedicated a destructive prosecution when they arrested Ramachandran for eradicating a metropolis detect from his residence, stays prior to the court docket.