Los Altos homeowner’s discrimination match dismissed

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

Satish Ramachandran claimed in the accommodate metropolis workforce made use of a racial slur in opposition to him and some others, and systematically refused to approve building renovations for Asian and Indian householders, even though approving a equivalent venture by a White home-owner.

But U.S. District Decide Beth Labson Freeman this 7 days “]turned down most of the allegations in the suit, crafting “this is a neighbor dispute gone horribly wrong.” Freeman dismissed claims produced in opposition to the City of Los Altos, a number of metropolis workforce, the metropolis regulation firm and neighbor Pam Jacobs.

The decide ruled the claims ended up substantially identical to an before federal suit by Ramachandran which was also dismissed. The scenario was dispatched with prejudice, blocking a return of the claims in a different accommodate.

“When neighbors who share a fence have a house dispute, possibilities for resolution are
confined,” Freeman wrote in the 20-webpage conclusion. The suitable way, she mentioned, was to strategy the city to resolve the difficulties.

The dispute arose from home renovations undertaken by Ramachandran, an Indian-born entrepreneur and Los Altos house owner due to the fact 1993. The prepared house undertaking began in 2013, and provided advancements to his patio, a kitchen remodel and the conversion of a garage into a residing area.

The renovations and a neighbor’s backyard structure turned the heart of a lengthy-managing dispute involving Ramachandran, his neighbors and city staff, according to courtroom information. The renovations and a house line dispute became central to two federal and a single state lawsuit.

Ramachandran claimed in the suit a metropolis employee turned hostile when inspecting his residence. “Why do you reside right here? Why really don’t you transfer to San Jose?” and yelled “Go back to India!”  Ramachandran submitted public records requests, and claimed at minimum a dozen other Indian and Asian home owners experienced household tasks rejected by the city, whilst a identical task submitted by a White relatives was accepted.

Los Altos officials denied the claims of discrimination, declaring people are taken care of similarly when the town gets code enforcement grievances. A town spokesperson mentioned Los Altos was happy with the decision.

Ramachandran said the query of discrimination was significant to bring to the court. “I’m preventing for something a lot larger than myself,” he explained following discovering most of his suit experienced been dismissed.

One latest declare, that city officials dedicated a malicious prosecution when they arrested Ramachandran for eradicating a town discover from his assets, continues to be right before the courtroom.