On August 23, 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice and the State of North Carolina announced the settlement of a lawsuit concerning North Carolina’s inadequate provision of housing for people with mental illness. The settlement is designed to ensure that North Carolina’s mental health service system is in compliance with federal law, including the Americans …
lawsuit
DOJ Settles Discrimination Suit With Wells Fargo; Bank to Provide $175 Million in Relief
On July 12, 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a $175 million settlement — the second largest fair lending settlement in the department’s history — to resolve allegations that Wells Fargo Bank engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against qualified African-American and Hispanic borrowers in its mortgage lending from 2004 through 2009. Under …
DOJ Announces $10 Million Settlement in Disability Discrimination Case
On June 25, 2012, the Justice Department announced its largest-ever disability-based housing discrimination settlement fund to resolve allegations that JPI Construction L.P. and six other related entities based in Irving, Texas, discriminated on the basis of disability in the design and construction of multifamily housing complexes throughout the United States. In a press release announcing the settlement, …
Bank of America to Pay $160,000 to Settle Maternity Discrimination Claim
On June 7, 2012, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that Bank of America agreed to pay up to $161,180 to settle allegations that one of the bank’s brances in San Jose, California, refused to refinance the mortgage of woman because she was on maternity leave. HUD reached the agreement with Bank of …
Court Rules Against Westchester County, NY; HUD Withholds CDBG Funds
On May 3, 2012, U.S. District Court Judge Denise Cote held that the Westchester County, New York, violated a 2010 consent decree designed to address racial and ethnic segregation in the County. The ruling concerned legislation in the County that would have prohibited landlords from considering a tenant’s “source of income” in making rental decisions. Under the terms …
Justice Dept. Settles Lending Suit Involving Pregnancy Discrimination
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 …
DOJ Sues NY Mortgage Company for Lending Discrimination
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit alleging that GFI Mortgage Bankers, Inc., violated the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act by charging African-American and Latino borrowers higher interest rates and fees on home mortgage loans than white borrowers. According to the Justice Department’s press release announcing the lawsuit: From 2005 through at least …
Greensboro Homeless Shelter, Residents Sue State for Disability Discrimination
Mary’s House, the owner and operator of a shelter and transitional living facility in Greensboro, North Carolina, filed a lawsuit in federal court on February 17, 2012, alleging that the State’s decision to stop funding its programs was based on disability-based discrimination in violation of the Fair Housing Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other laws. Joining Mary’s House …
Justice Department Sues Louisiana Parish, Alleging Racial Discrimination
On January 31, 2012, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against St. Bernard Parish, La., alleging that the parish violated the Fair Housing Act by engaging in a multi-year campaign to limit rental housing opportunities for African-Americans. The DOJ’s press release announcing the lawsuit stated: The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the …