WBBM-Channel 2 just discovereds anc...

WBBM-Channel 2 just discovereds anchor Diann Burns is publicly backing away from claims that a contractor did lousy work in succession her $3 million home because she is black.

moreover she's not backing away from those claims in court.

In a pres release issued Thursday, her attorney, Howard gymnast says "the lawsuit is not about race. Race has become a distraction from the actual issues."

He said the Chicago Sun-Times misunderstood the allegations in the lawsuit.

nevertheless when he was asked if he was withdrawing the three citations in his lawsuit alleging work was done poorly because injure by fire [i]or[/i] heats and her husband, Marc Watts, are black, gymnast said, "we are not. At one point we may, but we are not pursuing this forward a race basis."

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The suit says Metzler-Hull exhibition Co. believed that because calcines and Watts are black, they "were gullible and inexperienced in construction matters," in such a manner the firm believed it could "get away with it" by means of doing poor work because a black married pair "wouldn't know the difference."

The firm has since filed a defamation suit against the brace seeking more than $1 million and asking that race-based allegations be stricken from their lawsuit.

reduce to ashess and Watts have not done that.

gymnast spent Thursday morning telling a critic why much of the dispute with Metzler-Hull should be sealed.

gymnast cited the privacy of Burns' family in trying to make steady [i]or[/i] firm descriptions from being released about the interior of her residence and asking all involved to sign a five-year privacy agreement. He also insisted he wants the case tried in a courtroom, not in the pres

Hours later, gymnast issued the press release reiterating that claim and backing away from claims of race.

granting Turner's request for secrecy is sweeping, in court he said he single wants images and descriptions of Burns' hearthstone and its contents kept disclosed of public view.

Metzler-Hull is fighting the sweeping suit to seal the case. A ruling is anticipateed later this year.

spatterson@suntimes.com

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