WORCESTER, Mass. (CNN) – A gay married couple is suing a Massachusetts Catholic diocese alleging that the religious group declined to sell the couple a property because of their sexual orientation.
The two men were negotiating to buy the Oakhurst Mansion in Worcester County.
While trying to purchase the 44-bedroom mansion the “owner of the property, refused to sell the property to them after discovering that the two men are gay and married, and that they would allow gay marriages to take place,” the couple’s lawyers said in a press release last week.
Alain Beret and Jim Fairbanks allege in the lawsuit that they made a $75,000 down payment and invested thousands of dollars for inspections before the Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester walked away from the deal.
James Gavin Reardon Jr., the attorney representing the diocese said discrimination had nothing to do with the failed deal.
“The diocese doesn’t believe it’s discriminated against gay people and will prove that in court,” said Reardon. “There was no purchase and sale agreement with the buyers. Their financing fell though … the diocese never knew and never asked about the potential buyers’ sexual orientation.”
But the couple alleges that they have an email chain sent from the diocese’s broker that tells a different story and shows that the diocese was aware of Beret and Fairbanks’ sexual orientation.
