Auburn, Alabama Feb 19, 2023 (Issuewire.com) - Cory Edwards, a citizen of the Echota Cherokee Tribe file discrimination complaints against the Phenix City Housing Authority for wrongful eviction after the property manager told him he was being terminated for having a disabled guest who brought a Federal Service Animal over to visit.
Edwards states,
“The property manager told me ‘it does not matter if their dog is a service dog or not, you cannot have an animal on this property. I am over this property, we make the rules.’ And then she asked my brother to prove his dog was a service animal. Which is against Federal Law.
The Phenix City Housing Authority cannot make alterations to National Federal Law.
Federal Laws trump state and local laws.
Furthermore, every time they accused me of having a dog living in my unit I answered “No, the dog is an Emotional Support animal but she doesn’t live with me right now” and she kept calling me a liar to my face saying “Nah, you getting a termination letter on your door.”
She seemed to have a sarcastic smile as though she was enjoying the fact she was going to evict me over my brothers service animal, all the while shaking her head in disbelief.
Why do they profile me and believe I am a liar? Is it because of how you view our people due to Hollywood’s ‘Cowboys and Indians’ films which have perpetuated negative stereotypes of our people.“
We are told his guest has also filed a lawsuit for discrimination of person with disabilities because with a Federal Service Animal.
Edwards believes the African-American only administration of Riverview Apartments is intentionally suppressing non black minorities on the basis of racism, stating:
“I have been getting termination threats every other week for simple things for the last few months.
Every time I settle an issue with the admins they find another reason and so on.
They are so very consistent about it that it is obvious they are looking for a reason to remove us on a consistent basis.
This is paper genocide!
I really hate to say this but it must be the fact they have only hired African American women in the office.”
Phenix City has only a 0.16% Native American population. Edwards descends from the Long Family of the Echota Indians who make up at least 50% of the American Indian population of Phenix City.
“It just feels like history is repeating itself. Our people have a historical documented history of being discriminated against. In fact, it was legal to kill an American Indian until 1950.
It was unsafe for our people to leave the reservation during that time. It has been 186 years since the time of Indian Removal of 1836 and we are still being pushed out of our homes.”
Supporters have began rallying and have started a petition campaign calling for Justice for Cory Edwards to have PCHA retract their termination threats.
Sign the petition:
Phenix City Demographics
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Phenix City was:
- Black or African American: 46.89%
- White: 45.34%
- Other race: 3.46%
- Two or more races: 2.69%
- Asian: 1.39%
- Native American: 0.16%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.08%
According to the demographics, African Americans are now the majority in Phenix City.
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