Intentional community testing discrimination laws

Just when you thought things couldn’t get crazier, Arkansas enters the picture. A 160-acre community in the rural and remote Ozarks – named “Return to the Land” or RTTL – is opening its doors to residents, if they meet the specific criteria of being straight, white and non-Jewish. 

Cofounders Eric Orwoll and Peter Csere purchased the property in 2023, and members can buy shares that provide them with acres of land in the community. RTTL is trying to circumvent anti-discrimination laws by labeling itself a private membership association, albeit a bigoted one. RTTL’s website states that its membership is for “individuals and families with traditional views and common continental ancestry,” and the return to the land is to “separate ourselves from a failing modern society.”

Is the group taking advantage of the DEI rollback to see how far they can stretch exemptions to the Fair Housing Act and anti-discrimination laws? Probably. The legal disclaimer on the website specifically states that RTTL does not engage in real estate sales or rentals, and six communities are currently listed as either formed or in the planning stages of development. Orwoll says that RTTL’s purpose is to control who their neighbors are, and preserve white, American culture. In his opinion, America was white when his ancestors arrived, and members don’t want their white identity taken away. I’m guessing he didn’t learn about Native Americans and indigenous people in school.

Watching online interviews of members was mind boggling, with one stating that he didn’t know if the term racism applied to him, but he didn’t care. Others see RTTL as a loving movement, justifying their behavior by saying other ethnic groups can choose to do the same. In their view, exclusion brings purity, which could explain the monies paid out to members who have newborns. You don’t have to live on the compound to be a member, which helps with the group’s expansion efforts.

I am anxiously awaiting the first legal challenge to RTTL as nothing has surfaced yet, and how high it will climb in the legal system. Arkansas’ Attorney General recently claimed that he didn’t believe it violated any state or federal laws, which only bolsters the members’ belief that their behavior is acceptable. It’s unlikely that we will ever see any “hate has no home here” signs in the RTTL community.