Lisa Renee Olaso and Cyril Christopher filed a housing discrimination lawsuit in Queens against a broker, her brokerage and the owners of a Flushing apartment. According to People, broker Helen Tzelios allegedly sent Olaso a text reading “ugh they are black” as the couple stepped out of their car for a June showing. Olaso believes the message was meant for the owner.
The couple had come from Delaware for a June viewing of the 26th Avenue apartment because Olaso took a new job in New York. Olaso is 53 and Christopher is 51. They had not met the broker in person before that day. The complaint alleges Tzelios signaled the text went out by mistake, and a later text from her apologized, calling the episode a “misunderstanding.”
Tzelios allegedly cited “prior problems” with earlier Black tenants nearby. She still offered to show the unit, but the couple, who describe themselves as “upset and humiliated,” declined the tour and blocked her number. A Douglas Elliman spokesman stated the company learned of the case only when it received the suit on Thursday. The spokesman added that Tzelios, an independent contractor, was fired inside an hour once the suit arrived.
Lawsuit names broker and owners
A court filing lists the case in the Supreme Court of Queens County under index number 731858/2026, with Tzelios, Douglas Elliman Realty LLC and the property’s owners as defendants. The docket classifies it as a racial discrimination tort case. The complaint invokes the Fair Housing Act, enacted in 1968, and the New York City Human Rights Law. The federal law prohibits discrimination in renting or buying a home over race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or disability.
The company has a “zero-tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind,” the spokesman stated. Tzelios had not yet replied when contacted for comment. NBC New York reported that Olaso shared her experience on social media before the couple decided to sue. Olaso answered the agent’s apology with, “It doesn’t change the pain.”
Their attorney, Kenneth Mollins, supplied an image of the text, which the complaint also quotes, along with the apology message. Mollins stated that “Fair housing laws are not just suggestions,” calling them mandates. He added, “Racism isn’t always someone wearing a white hood,” and described the problem as “people holding the keys to an apartment.”
During a Thursday news conference at Mollins’ Hauppauge office, Olaso asked, “What does that have to do with us?” Christopher, who described the pair as “kind, loving people,” asked, “What difference does it make?” The couple, now living in Commack on Long Island, stated they went public hoping to prevent similar incidents. The claims are allegations and have not been decided in court.
The case follows other recent accusations of racial bias, including a UC Santa Barbara sorority accused of racism.
Published: Oct 26, 2026 11:39 pm