
          Lawsuit Alleges Bias in Real Estate Ads 
          By StaffStaff 
          Vol. 11, No. 2, 1989, p. 14
          
          In New_York, a lawsuit involving the absence of black models in
advertisements for housing is pending against the New_York
Times. The suit was filed by the New_York Open Housing Center
and the NAACP, although the NAACP subsequently withdrew from the case
saying its internal policy of negotiating before suing had not been
followed.
          The complaint, filed January 12, charges that display real-estate
advertising in the Times has essentially used only
white models for more than 20 years.
          A spokesman for the Times disputed the charges and
said the newspaper had written in 1988 to real-estate advertisers
urging them to comply with discrimination laws regarding ads for
housing.
          "Pictures of only white_people give a message to
Times readers that is loud, it's clear, and it's
discriminatory," said Betty Hoeber, director of the Center. A
statement announcing the lawsuit said the plaintiffs wanted an
agreement with the Times similar to an understanding
reached in 1986 with the Washington Post, which now
requires commercial real-estate advertisers to have a minimum number
of black models in ads that use models.
          The plaintiffs are represented by the Washington Lawyers' Committee
for Civil Rights. Call Cheryl Packwood, 212-848-4980, for more
information.
        
