• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Fair Housing Project

A Project of Legal Aid of North Carolina

A Project of Legal Aid of North Carolina

Header Right

  • Resources
  • Donate
  • Home
  • News
  • Services
    • Education & Outreach
    • Legal Representation
    • Fair Housing Advocate Award Recipients
    • Become a Fair Housing Tester
  • Know Your Rights
    • Fair Housing Basics
      • Fair Housing Law Overview
      • Enforcement in North Carolina
      • Resources
      • Our Brochures
      • Our Videos
    • Know Your Rights
      • Race & Color
      • Religion
      • National Origin
      • Sex & Sexual Harassment
      • Familial Status
      • Disability
  • En Español
    • Discriminación en la Vivienda
    • Contacto
    • Publicaciones
  • Calendar
  • Links
    • All Links
    • Fair Housing Working Group
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us

Search Fair Housing Project

Get the Fair Housing Project's Newsletter

Just enter your email below and we'll keep you posted when we have new articles. We won't share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time. By submitting your e-mail address, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy (http://www.legalaidnc.org/privacy). We use MailChimp as our e-mail automation platform. By submitting your e-mail address, you also acknowledge that the information you provide will be transferred to MailChimp for processing in accordance with their Privacy Policy and Terms (https://mailchimp.com/legal).


Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required

View previous campaigns.

MENUMENU
  • Home
  • News
  • Services
    • Education & Outreach
    • Legal Representation
    • Fair Housing Advocate Award Recipients
    • Become a Fair Housing Tester
  • Know Your Rights
    • Fair Housing Basics
      • Fair Housing Law Overview
      • Enforcement in North Carolina
      • Resources
      • Our Brochures
      • Our Videos
    • Know Your Rights
      • Race & Color
      • Religion
      • National Origin
      • Sex & Sexual Harassment
      • Familial Status
      • Disability
  • En Español
    • Discriminación en la Vivienda
    • Contacto
    • Publicaciones
  • Calendar
  • Links
    • All Links
    • Fair Housing Working Group
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / Featured / Justice Dept. Settles Lending Suit Involving Pregnancy Discrimination

Justice Dept. Settles Lending Suit Involving Pregnancy Discrimination

May 1, 2012by Jeff Dillman

On April 30, 2012, the United States Department of Justice announced the settlement of a lawsuit against the Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC) for discriminating against women on maternity leave in violation of the Fair Housing Act. According to its press release, the settlement is the DOJ’s first involving discrimination against women and families in mortgage insurance.

The case, which had been filed in July 2011 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, alleged that MGIC required women on maternity leave to return to work before the company would insure their mortgages even for women who had a guaranteed right to return to work after the leave.

According to the DOJ,

The settlement, which was approved by the court [April 30, 2012], establishes a $511,250 fund to compensate 70 individuals whom the United States identified as aggrieved by the alleged discriminatory treatment between 2007 and 2010. The settlement also requires MGIC to pay a $38,750 civil penalty to the United States. The Department of Justice identified the aggrieved individuals based on its extensive review of MGIC’s mortgage application records. MGIC cooperated with the United States in turning over records during the course of settlement negotiations.

The settlement also requires MGIC to follow a number of detailed nondiscriminatory provisions in its future review of mortgage insurance applications involving women or men who are on, or have returned from, paid or unpaid leave related to the birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child. The settlement also requires MGIC to monitor its treatment of applicants on leave to care for a new child, to train its employees on the requirements of the fair housing laws, and to provide nondiscrimination notices to mortgage applicants.

The DOJ’s lawsuit is separate from a private class action involving similar claims. The DOJ noted that individuals compensated as part of the DOJ settlement remain eligible to receive compensation from that class action lawsuit.

The DOJ’s press release announcing the settlement is available here.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Filed Under: Featured, News Tagged With: DOJ, HUD, lawsuit, lending, mortgage

Previous Post: « 44th Anniversary of Fair Housing Act
Next Post: NC Fair Housing Project Awarded New HUD Grant »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

More from this Newsletter Issue

Recent Newsletters

  • Newsletter – December 2022
  • Newsletter – Summer 2022
  • Newsletter – Spring 2022
  • Newsletter – Winter 2022
  • Newsletter – Summer 2021
  • Newsletter – Spring 2021
  • Newsletter – Winter 2021
  • Newsletter – Fall 2020
  • Newsletter – Summer 2020
  • Newsletter – Spring 2020
  • Contact Us

    Fair Housing Project
    P.O. Box 26087
    Raleigh, NC 27611-6087
    1-855-797-3247
    info@fairhousingnc.org

    Our Mission

    The Fair Housing Project of Legal Aid of North Carolina works to eliminate housing discrimination and to ensure equal housing opportunity for all people through education, outreach, public policy initiatives, advocacy and enforcement.

     

    Legal Aid of North Carolina offers many services, which you can learn about at their website.

    Disclaimer

    The materials contained on this website are for information and education purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Legal Aid of North Carolina does not provide legal assistance by email. Contact the Fair Housing Project or a private attorney if you need to speak with an attorney regarding your particular situation. View our complete disclaimer.

    Copyright © 2023 Fair Housing Project, a project of Legal Aid North Carolina
    224 South Dawson Street, Raleigh, NC 27601 • 1-855-797-3247 • info@fairhousingnc.org
    Website by Tomatillo Design