An Oregon landlord threatened a tenant with eviction if she did not remove the American flag hanging inside her front window. Referring to the American flag as a “colored drape,” the Happy Valley complex landlord insisted that “all colored drapes need to be removed from the windows.”
Elodia Royce, 58, received a warning from her landlord based on a complaint made by her neighbor. Royce says that she has hung the flag in her window for six years as a tribute to her family and friends who have served in the military. “They fought for our freedoms, and this is a freedom I should have,” Royce told KGW. “My grandfather, aunts, and uncles served. My ex-husband served in Desert Storm, and his entire family are military folks.”
Royce said that the notice from the landlord threatened that if the “colored drape” is not removed by Monday, she could face eviction. “I called the office and told her it was not a drape,” Royce said. “It’s the American flag.” The grandmother of nine, who has two other family members living at the apartment complex, said she doesn’t like to stir up any trouble, but this is important to her and a principle on which she is willing to fight.
On Monday, the landlord offered her a compromise after Royce called two TV stations. The landlord said the building would install a pole in front of her apartment in the next few weeks, Oregon Live reports. The landlord also offered to provide an indoor installation if she preferred.
Royce is grateful for the positive actions taken by the landlord, but until the pole is installed, she said, she’s not taking down her flag.
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