Thi Pham (right) and her lawyer Jeff Campiche
Thi Pham of Shoreline said that because of her race, she has been harassed and threatened by white neighbors for many years.
She has now filed a civil lawsuit against 72-year-old Jan Myers, who was arrested earlier this year after Pham recorded Myers with racially derogatory and threatening remarks on April 5.
That day Miles called Pham “Squint” and yelled “Hey Miss Vietnam. You won’t live long.”
The King County Attorney’s Office eventually charged Miles with hate crimes, and she pleaded not guilty. A judge released Miles in his own name and issued a temporary restraining order requiring Miles to maintain a distance of at least 500 feet from Pham.
At a press conference on August 17, Pham sat with her translator’s husband William Healy and Seattle lawyer Jeff Campiche and said that she did not want what happened to her to happen to other people.
“I want it to stop. This is what I want.”
Campiche said that since Myers was released in April, Myers has continued to stalk and harass Pham — a violation of the restraining order that will expire on August 30.
“She continues to harass the family,” Campiche said.
The lawsuit stated that Miles often lay and waited until Fan walked with her child or walked alone. The complaint stated that Miles would then approach Pham by driving or reversing and shouting words such as “I don’t want you to squint here”.
“My wife is afraid of going out. She is afraid of taking our son to the backyard because she is afraid that she will be beaten,” Fan’s husband said. “As a father and husband, it’s really hard to have to look at it.”
The lawsuit is seeking civil damages of at least $100,000 and a protection order that requires Myers to maintain a distance of at least 300 feet from Pham and his family. According to court documents, their homes are 60 feet apart.
