The member of a Surrey strata council said it wasn’t racially motivated when Guerda Henry and her family were asked to show ID when they used the pool at their own townhouse complex.
Goss, who is also on the complex’s clubhouse committee, has identified himself as the one who somehow mistook Henry and her family for trespassers.
WATCH: Family claims racial profiling after being questioned at Surrey complex’s pool
Last Thursday, Henry, who owns a unit in the compelx, was at the pool with her two daughters, a sister and two nieces when a caretaker came up and asked them to prove they lived there.
Another resident had sent the caretaker over.
“She said, ‘Um, there are some concerns that you guys shouldn’t be here,” Henry said.
“I said, ‘excuse me?'”
Henry showed the caretaker her key fob, but the staffer asked for ID; she was concerned that people had been jumping the fence to use the pool.
Henry responded, “‘No I don’t have ID. Do you go swimming with ID in your back pocket?'”
Video showed Goss confronting the family, even after pool staff had left.
READ MORE: Black family asked to show ID for using pool in their B.C. townhouse complex
Speaking to Global News on Monday, Goss said, “how it was approached, it wasn’t the best.”
He added, “it was simply a misunderstanding, I don’t hold anything against her to feel that it may have been racially motivated. It is not, but I understand.”
As the weather turns hot, the strata wants to ensured unauthorized people aren’t using the pool.
“I saw them go up to the clubhouse and scan in,” he said.
“Now I don’t recognize any of them.”
Henry and her family were questioned about using the pool; others weren’t. They wanted to know why.
“I cried all yesterday afternoon and I woke up this morning crying,” Henry said at the time.
She doesn’t accept Goss’ apology.
As for him, he said he intends to resign from the strata unless Henry forgives him.
The strata previously said, “steps are currently being taken to remove that committee member from the clubhouse committee based on their actions in overstepping their boundary.”
Goss swore there wasn’t a racial motivation for his actions, but he feels bad that they felt they were singled out due to their skin colour.
“I think it’s terrible what she’s gone through in the past,” Goss said, his voice breaking.
“Because of her skin colour, that’s bulls***.”
- Video report by Paul Johnson; with files from Sean Boynton and John Hua
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