Aurora Mall Owners Apologize For Remarks Made About Minority Customers

AURORA, Colo. -- The chief operating officer for Simon Properties formerly apologized after 7NEWS aired audio recordings of a leasing agent saying that the Aurora Mall wanted to be more "white-focused" and wanted to diminish "the negative ... aspects of the Center, one of them is the young, black customer."

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Aurora Mall's Owners React To Shocking Audiotape Hear Leasing Agent As She Talks About Attracting White, Not Ethnic Customers

John Rulli with Simon Properties (pictured, left) called the statements a travesty, saying they do not accurately reflect the future direction of the Aurora Mall.

"Obviously, I am outraged and appalled as is the community about the comments that she made," Rulli said.

Simon Properties owns the Aurora Mall and is scrambling to explain statements made by one of its leasing agents.

"It's very disturbing, it's very upsetting and as we've said in our statement and as we've discussed with many others before, it's totally inconsistent with who we are and what we stand for and what we are trying to accomplish here," Rulli said.

In the wake of the racially explosive statement, Rulli said Simon Properties is now working with the community to repair the damage and move forward.

"Obviously, an apology is in order. We recognize that what she said was wrong. We recognize the impact of that. We don't condone that. It warrants an apology to the community, it certainly does. And that's why we've stepped up to do that," Rulli said.

Simon Properties said its future actions will include more than an apology. The chief operating officer promises tangible programs, sending the message to the community that the Aurora Mall is not racist in any way.

The leasing agent on the audiotape has been removed from her responsibilities at the mall and suspended from the corporation.

Read Apology From Aurora Mall's Owners.

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