Leah Solomon says her neighbors slipped a note under her door slamming her teen daughter with autism and asking the family to move. (Courtesy Leah Solomon)
When Leah Solomon's husband forwarded her a letter he found under their front door, the Florida mother was shocked. Her jaw dropped as she read the page-long note calling her 16-year-old daughter with autism a "burden" and requesting the family move out immediately.
"I went into shock. As much as it hurt, it made my blood boil and I was fuming," Solomon told Fox News. "I was not going to let anyone refer to my daughter like that."
The letter, signed by "Plaza of Bal Harbour Residents," said tenants were tired of the "hefty" girl's "screaming and outbursts," lecturing the mom that the building pool is not a "babysitting facility."
"The choice is yours. Either you move out of the building on your own volition, or the residents of this building will take action and you will be forced to move," the letter read.
"We are doing the best we can as parents of such a complicated disability."
The "fuming" parents contacted the condo association, asking if they authorized the letter and whether they were at risk of being evicted.
Management at the condominium told the family they did not condone the "disturbing" letter, WPTV reports, clarifying that it was a tenant who drafted it.
(Courtesy Leah Solomon)
Bal Harbour Mayor Gabriel Groisman said in a April 20 Facebook post that he was aware of the "ignorant" note and asked residents to "reject this kind of hatred and ignorance."
In response, Groisman said he has teamed up with the Bal Harbour Police Department and local government officials to create an autism awareness campaign.
"I can confirm that law enforcement is looking into this incident, and everyone must know that this hatred and discrimination has no place anywhere, and certainly not in Bal Harbour," he wrote.
Solomon said her daughter, Batsheva, is non-verbal and attends the South Florida Autism Charter School in Hialeah. She loves singing, YouTube and watching "Sesame Street."
While she admits it's "challenging" at times to raise a child with autism, Solomon emphasized there is "no other love like" it.
"Our children ... come to show us unconditional love," she continued. "It's important for parents of children with any disability to know they are not alone, and they should never allow people to hurt their children. We are doing the best we can as parents of such a complicated disability."
Solomon said she's working with the mayor and has since sought legal counsel. She also started a GoFundMe page in hopes of raising enough money to move out of the complex.
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