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Showing posts from 2014

The District Court for the District of Columbia has Ruled on HUD’s Disparate Impact Regulation

The HUD regulation dealing with the theory of discrimination under “disparate impact” was reviewed and ruled on by Judge Richard J. Leon, for the District of Columbia. He ruled that the administration cannot rely on "disparate impact" to judge discrimination. This is another attack on the theory and civil rights groups that use the theory to sue parties when there is no overt intentional discrimination. Judge Leon went on to criticize the administration , Judge Leon said the administration's bid to establish disparate impact as a legitimate measure of discrimination showed "hutzpah (bordering on desperation)." "This is yet another example of an administrative agency trying desperately to write into law that which Congress never intended to sanction," Judge Leon wrote in a scorching opinion that described Obama administration attorneys' arguments as "nothing less than an artful misinterpretation" of the law. HUD’s position in pass

HUD charges Kent State University with housing discrimination over denial of a student's right to keep a therapy dog in university housing

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) charged Kent State University (KSU) and four employees with violating the Fair Housing Act after they denied a student's request to keep a therapy dog in a university apartment for emotional support. The student suffers from "panic disorder and anxiety" and needs the support animal to function in school. In a press release, the HUD Assistant Secretary said that "Many people with disabilities rely on therapy animals to enhance their quality of life". "The Fair Housing Act protects their right to a service animal and HUD is committed to taking action whenever the nation's fair housing laws are violated," Velazquez said. In contrast, the university released the following statement Tuesday afternoon: "Kent State University is aware of the charges stemming from claims made several years ago.  Helping our students succeed remains a top priority, and we look forward to discussing the

Louisiana Lawmakers reject Sexual Orientation and Gender Identification bill:

Lawmakers rejected a bill that would have prohibited housing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The House Commerce Committee voted 13-5 today against the measure, which was the first in a package of gay rights bills proposed for consideration this session. The proposed bill would have amended the Louisiana Equal Housing Opportunity Act  by adding sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and marital status as Protected classes:  http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/ea72346462734ca7b6f7959765dd35e7/LA--Gay-Rights-Housing/

Race and Familial status case filed in Southern Illinois by the DOJ:

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the owners and management of a large mobile home park in Effingham, Illinois for alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act for discriminating against African-Americans and families with children. The lawsuit, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. The complaint alleges that some of the employees with management engaged in a pattern or practice of violating the FHA by imposing requirements on African-Americans interested in living at mobile home park that they did not impose on white prospective tenants. The suit also alleges that management refused to register an African-American boyfriend of a white resident. Also, the lawsuit alleges that the defendants refused to permit families with children to live in one of the four rows at the mobile home park. “The lawsuit arose after the residents who were subjected to the discriminatory conduct contacted HOPE Fair Housing Center, an organization in Illin