A Waterloo Region Realtor has come under fire for a heated exchange with a resident in Cambridge, Ont., on Friday.
In a video shared online, broker Jeff Blackham was seen cursing and yelling a homophobic slur at a woman who is out of frame.
“There was a video that someone caught that said, ‘Shove it up their wazoo,’ or whatever, and use the nice name for a lesbian that’s not very nice,” said Lisa Di Pasqua. “And that was it. He got in his car and took off.”
Di Pasqua said she was driving down her street and was about to pull into her driveway when she saw a man recording a video nearby.
“I didn’t know what was going on,” Di Pasqua said. “But when I went to come park here, they waved me to go over to the street.”
Di Pasqua said she was on a call and stayed in her car.
“I said, ‘I’m in an important meeting. I’m going to be a little bit,‘” Di Pasqua recalled. “And he got all flustered – you could just tell by his body movements – and waved me to come back to my spot.”
Di Pasqua pulled into her driveway and said the situation took a turn.
“He just came over to my Jeep, like inches from my face with the middle finger and started swearing profanities at me using the F-bomb,” she said. “And I used it back because I was like, ‘What the heck? Why are you in my space?’ I told him to get out of my space with an F-bomb and get away from me.”
Blackham responds
The video of the incident has received thousands of views and caught the attention of Blackham himself.
While on the phone with CTV News, Blackham said the situation has left him feeling “broken,” and “destroyed my life.”
He also provided a written statement to CTV News. It read, “I want to address a serious mistake I made last week. I used language that was wrong, hurtful, and completely unacceptable. I take full responsibility for my words and the harm they have caused, particularly to members of the LGBTQ+ community.”
“I recognize the impact of my actions and deeply regret the pain and disappointment this has caused. As someone who values respect, inclusion and professionalism, I am committed to doing better.”
“I have already taken steps to educate myself, including enrolling in a comprehensive equity and inclusion training program. This is just one part of an ongoing effort to ensure I grow from this experience and contribute to a more respectful and inclusive environment, both personally and professionally.”
“I am truly sorry, and I am committed to learning and making meaningful change.”
‘I want him to take accountability’
Di Pasqua said the situation could’ve been avoided.
“All he had to say was, ‘I’m a real estate agent. I’m shooting a video,‘” Di Pasqua said. “I would have gone around the corner or something.”
Keller Williams Innovation, the real estate brokerage Blackham worked for, confirmed he was terminated early Saturday morning.
“Please know that we do not, and will not, tolerate hateful, discriminatory, or disrespectful conduct in any form,” said operating partner Andre Chin.
“I feel bad, of course, because no, I didn’t want him to lose his job,” Di Pasqua said. “But I want him to take accountability.”
As for her involvement in the dispute, Di Pasqua said she believes she acted accordingly.
“I didn’t do anything inappropriate, out of character for myself,” she said. “I was just sticking up for myself and not letting him talk to me like that.”
Di Pasqua said she filed a report with Waterloo Regional Police Service. CTV News confirmed with police that they are investigating the incident.
