Also listed was another number. This number worked. From the Fair Housing Commission of the City of Boston, he got another number, which also gets you to the same Boston HUD office.

Also listed in the AG’s pamphlet, was the Fair Housing Center of Greater Boston. Wellman left a message at their number and got a message the following day that this office only does race and national origin discrimination. It was the office of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights. So why is this phone number listed on a publication called, "Fair Housing Rights for Individuals with Disabilities?"

Wellman spoke with a woman at the Boston HUD Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity office who identified herself as Lucy. She put him on hold. He hung up after waiting a few minutes. He called back just before 5:00 PM and explained that he wanted to file a complaint about discrimination based upon disability in housing under the Fair Housing Act. Since it was almost 5:00 PM, Joe said he would call back on Wednesday.

At about 2:00 PM on Wednesday July 6, 2005, Wellman called again. A man named John answered. Joe asked for Lucy. She came on the phone and he asked about the procedure for filing a complaint under the Fair Housing Act. She said it would be faster if he did it over the telephone. He said it might be better to do it slower. She explained that they would take the facts and it would be reviewed. A decision would be made if there were probable cause. A complaint would be typed, if merited, and sent to him for signing. If there were any discrepancies he could correct them.

Lucy asked him what his disability is. He said, "People say I am mentally ill. They treat me as if I am a mental patient. They shun me."

"You must have a disability," she said. "What is your disability?"

"I just told you. People think I’m mentally ill, and discriminate based upon their beliefs."

"It doesn’t matter what people think. It matters what you say."

He said, "You don’t know the law. I just read it last night at the library."

"Please hold on."

He waited three minutes. When she returned Lucy said, "Do you want to talk to Kathy?"

She transferred him to the main phone menu. He was able to enter the name for Sherrod and was connected to her voice mail. He left a message for her.

He called and left a message with the Cambridge Commission for Persons with Disabilities.

He called the Mass. Office on Disabilities, and a counselor there agreed that this was a problem.

He called the Mass. Mental Health Legal Advisor’s Committee, and the Executive Director there agreed it was a problem.

According to the Attorney General’s publication, State law (Chapter 151 B) states that an "individual with a handicap is defined as:

(a) a person with a physical or mental impairment, which substantially limits one or more major life activities. Major life activities include, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working.

(b) a person with a record of having this kind of impairment…[or] who is perceived as having this kind of impairment."

The same pamphlet says that US law (Title 42 Section 3602(h)) Fair Housing Amendments Act defines an individual with a handicap in almost the same words as does the State law.

This is how government employees address unlawful discrimination toward persons with disabilities. Taxpayers fund full time workers to provide a system of relief. But the employees do not know their job, nor the law they are being paid to administer.

Politicians, landlords and police openly abuse and insult persons they believe to be disabled. Journalists ignore this as if it were perfectly acceptable behavior—government abuse of vulnerable persons.