'Racist Dog' Stops Black Housekeeper From Cleaning Church

COLLIERVILLE, TN — LaShundra Allen never made it past the front gate on the first day at a new job this past May cleaning the Rev. Jacek Kowal's rectory at the Catholic Church of the Incarnation in Collierville, Tennessee.

Allen, who is black, was accompanied to the rectory by Emily Weaver, a white woman who was quitting. Weaver wanted to introduce Allen as her replacement, but the two were quickly stopped by the secretary — who wanted to go ask Kowal if the new arrangement was acceptable.

The secretary returned with the news that it was in fact not OK — and for a reason that left Allen speechless, according to The Washington Post.

"We're not trying to be rude, but the dog doesn't like black people," were the exact words uttered out of the church staff, according to a letter from the two women's attorney. Allen left the property shortly after, according to The Commercial Appeal newspaper.

"They came at me like it was supposed to be a joke, but it was not funny," Allen told The Washington Post. "There was nothing funny about it."

Rather, she told the newspaper that "blaming a dog for racism appeared to mask underlying discrimination."

Both Allen and Weaver issued a racial discrimination complaint to the Catholic Diocese of Memphis on July 3, seeking a "settlement and compromise," according to The Post.

However, after a subsequent investigation into the matter, on Friday, Aug. 16, the Diocese said "claims of racial bias and discrimination are unfounded." Allen and Weaver both said Kowal had discriminated against Allen.

“Although the parish staff member’s choice of words was highly unfortunate and imprecise — they were not motivated by racial animus,” Bishop David Talley wrote to area Catholics. “Rather, the concern by all involved was the safety of these women, one of whom was a stranger to the dog, and they knew that attempting to crate the dog would be dangerous when its owner was not present.”

Talley's letter went on to say that Kowal's German Shepard becomes more agitated initially around strangers with darker skin.

Kowal never made an effort to meet with Allen after the fact, and he also didn't push back against the initial statement that his dog is racist, according to the letter originally sent from Allen and Weaver's attorney.

Both women plan to continue seeking legal action in the matter.