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Barbara Ernst and Barbara Supeno have been partners for 21 years and friends affectionately refer to them as “The Barbaras”.  According to their attorney David Bond, Ernst and Supeno moved to their lakefront Vermont property in 2004, but were not welcomed by their community.

Supeno and Ernst filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against town officials and former neighbors, and Bond claims town leadership tried to push the women out of town.

“It’s entirely based on their sexual orientation,” Bond said. “Neighbors insulted them, made obscene gestures to them. There were dead animals left on their property.”

The women’s property abuts Lake Champlain and was the topic of discussion at two zoning meetings along with neighboring plots, but Bond said his clients were never informed that the meetings were going to take place.

The complaint also claimed the couple filed numerous grievances with the town regarding neighbors and zoning regulations. Bond said the town purposely refused to respond to their complaints, particularly those concerning the environment.

In 2008, the women put up a fence because of ongoing threats, which Bond said met the town’s zoning requirements. He added that two public meetings were held about the fence, but the town failed to notify his clients.  Bond said that other zoning issues included a handicap ramp that was added to the exterior of the home for Supeno’s mother. In the complaint, Bond alleges that the town clerk refused to accept an application the town required Supeno to file or face a $100 fine.  Ernst and Supeno’s assessed property value has tripled within the last ten years.

Bond also said his clients have also been intimidated by anonymous bullies over the years.  One incident in April 2011 was a letter circulated around town saying Ernst and Supeno were scam artists.  The letter, titled “The truth about The Barbaras,” reads, “It has been over 6 years that the Subject two women have been passing themselves off as involved citizens and very concerns about the town direction and in particular with Zoning, the school and the environment. Beware: This is a totally phony perception that they have fabricated is a front to cover their devious and vicious behavior.”

A year later, Bond said a Middlebury, Vt., lawyer received a letter purportedly from Ernst and Supeno claiming the couple would not pay him for his services.  This new letter said, “We just thought we would give you a heads up as to our past games with previous attorneys in the state of VT and also lawyers in Middlebury.  We love to play head games with them and give them a run for their money.” Ernst and Supeno said they did not send letter.

A homophobic slur was spray-painted outside of the town offices. It’s not specifically directed at Ernst and Supeno, but they believe it was meant for them.  Select board chair Jeff Kaufmann, who is also named as a defendant in the suit, said the expletive has been removed.  Kaufmann, who was also Addison’s zoning and planning administrator and is a Baptist minister declined to comment about the case Wednesday, stating that he had not yet reviewed the complaint.

Also named as plaintiffs in the case are Kaufmann’s wife and two of Ernst and Supeno’s former neighbors.  The six counts named in the complaint are defamation, false light invasion of privacy, tortious interference with prospective business relations, sexual orientation discrimination, common law retaliation and violations of common benefits clause.

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Carrie Stone