It is understood that in all “settled” cases reported on this site, the defendant, unless otherwise noted, denies the allegations of discrimination made by the plaintiff, and the parties have agreed to resolve the case prior to a trial on the merits. Cases are listed by date of intake.
Click on a case to learn more, or use the filters and map to explore our work by basis and location.
Andrea Grieb contacted the FHC to report that she was denied an apartment because she had a child. Ms. Grieb responded to an online ad advertising the apartment. After asking Ms. Grieb to describe her family situation, the owner responded in part by writing, “I have always been leery of renting either of the upstairs apartments to anyone with children.” The owner cited concerns including the stairs and the noise that children make.
Jennifer Anderson told FHC staff that she was denied the right to rent an apartment in the Burns Park neighborhood, near her children’s school, because she had two kids. FHC testing supported her claim of discrimination based on familial status. Ms. Anderson first asked FHC to contact the agent and try to negotiate a settlement before she took further legal action. The agent and owner refused. A familial status complaint was then filed with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. Still unable to come to an agreement with the owner Richard Yarmain or the agent Edward B. McIntosh, Ms. Anderson moved to file in Federal District Court in the Eastern District of Michigan. Filed by law students Diane Kee and David Fegley through the University of Michigan Civil Rights Litigation Initiative Clinic on September 25, 2020, the case was assigned to the Honorable Paul D. Borman. The students were supervised by Clinic Director Michael J. Steinberg. The lawsuit quickly settled for $15,000.
Chelsae Lakin accepted an undisclosed amount to settle her fair housing case. The suit was filed October 14, 2015 by FHC Cooperating Attorneys Stephen M. Dane and Joseph Wardenski from Relman, Dane, & Colfax with assistance from local Cooperating Attorney Thomas Daniels of Pear, Sperling, Eggan, & Daniels. FHC testing supports rental agent Chelsae Lakin’s claim that her now-former employers, Sakti and Papri Pramanik, instructed her to discriminate against families with a child. Ms. Lakin contacted the FHC on her first day of work. The case was assigned to the Honorable Thomas L. Ludington. FHC Board of Directors presented Chelsae Lakin with the first Fair Housing Board of Directors Award at our 2017 Fair Housing Breakfast. Chelsae was honored for “boldly standing up for equal housing opportunity in her role as a housing professional.”
A University of Florida professor has filed a federal lawsuit against Tree City Properties and owner Catherine Alawi stating that she was denied the rental of a two-bedroom apartment because she has two children. After receiving the complaint from Dr. Barnett, FHC staff went to the Ann Arbor Department of Community and Building Services to inquire about the occupancy standards for the apartment in question on Greenwood Avenue. A representative of the City stated that the two-bedroom unit could accommodate three people. The Fair Housing Center staff met with Dr. Barnett and informed her of her rights under the Fair Housing Act. FHC Cooperating Attorney Jonathan Weber filed the case in Federal Court on December 19, 2012. The case was assigned to Judge Gerald E. Rosen.
The FHC initiated a housing discrimination lawsuit against several multi-family apartment properties in Michigan owned, operated, and/or managed by Sudi Hopper. Testing showed evidence of discrimination against families with children. The properties include Parkside Apartments in East Lansing, Holt Manor Apartments in Holt, and Kelly Manor Apartments in Owosso. FHC testing supported the claim. The case settled on August 30, 2016.
Cicily Pippens accepted $20,000 to settle her familial status complaint against Mildred Trkula. FHC testing supported Cicily Pippens’ claim of discrimination. Ms. Trkula must attend fair housing training and a lien is placed on her properties until the settlement is paid in full. FHC Cooperating Attorney Steve Tomkowiak filed the case in U.S. Federal District Court on behalf of Ms. Pippens. The case was assigned to Judge Victoria Roberts.
Hargraves v Spiridakos was filed in U.S. Federal District Court in February, 2012. Plaintiff Matthew Hargraves contacted the FHC after a property owner in Okemos, Michigan refused to allow him to rent a house because he has four children. FHC testing supported his claim of discrimination based on familial status. FHC Cooperating Attorney Jonathan Weber filed on behalf of Mr. Hargraves. The case was assigned to Judge Robert Holmes Bell. This is the first FHC-Southeast-aided fair housing suit to come from Ingham County. FHC staff and volunteer testers were deposed prior to the $10,500 settlement. A portion of the settlement will pay for fair housing training for the owners.
James Newby, Sarah and Joshua Drummonds, and the Fair Housing Center of Southeastern Michigan accepted $40,000 to settle their claim against the Woodcrest Condominium Association and managers Barbara and Allan Diedrich. The suit claimed discrimination based on race, familial status, age and disability. The complex, located in Monroe, Michigan, was sued in 2000 for discrimination based on familial status. For five years, pursuant to a consent decree with the United States Department of Justice, Mr. and Mrs. Diedrich attended annual fair housing training with the Fair Housing Center of Metropolitan Detroit which thoroughly outlined their duties under fair housing laws. Testing completed by the Fair Housing Center found evidence of disparate treatment for prospective co-owners on the basis of race, age, familial status and disability. FHC Cooperating Attorney Jonathan G. Weber filed suit on behalf of all three plaintiffs in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The suit, filed on March 2, 2009, was assigned to Judge John Corbett O’Meara.
Cassandra Kraehnke contacted the FHC to report that her family was denied the rental of a mobile home in Monroe because she had one child and was pregnant with a second. Ms. Kraehnke said the agent told her that the property had a “one child policy” and thus her family could not live there because she was expecting a second child. FHC testing supported their claim. FHC Cooperating Attorney Michael Gatti filed the case on behalf of the Kraehnkes. The case was assigned to Federal Judge David M. Lawson.
Dawn Simpson told the FHC that an agent from Arbor Apartments said that she and her toddler son could not share a one bedroom apartment. Testing, and advertising on their website supported a claim discrimination based on familial status. FHC Cooperating Attorneys Jonathan Weber filed suit on behalf of Ms. Simpson in U.S. Federal District Court, the case is assigned to George Caram Steeh.
As Mitch Abrams and his wife Sue Dible contacted the FHC with discrimination complaint after they tried to rent an apartment in Ypsilanti with their two young sons. Testing and statements made to FHC staff supported their claim of discrimination based on familial status. FHC Cooperating Attorney Jonathan Weber filed suit on behalf of the Abrams-Dible family in U.S. Federal District Court, the case was assigned to Judge Victoria Roberts.
Pregnant with her first child, Pamela Russman told the FHC she was denied the right to look at an apartment because she was expecting a baby. Testing supported her claim of discrimination based on familial status. Filed by FHC Cooperating Attorney Denise M. Heberle of Heberle & Finnegan, the case was assigned to Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff.
Christina Bevins was eight months pregnant with her first child when she contacted the FHC. She told FHC staff that the owners of Mick Apartments in Milan offered her an apartment and later turned her down because a baby would be living in the unit. Testing, and a taped phone message, supported this claim. FHC Cooperating Attorneys Jonathan Weber and Jonathan Rose filed suit on behalf of Ms. Bevins in U.S. Federal District Court, the case was assigned to Judge Gerald E. Rosen.
Samadai Caldwell, the mother of two, contacted the FHC to report an apartment owner who didn’t want to rent to anyone with children under four years old. Ms. Caldwell’s daughter was two at the time. Testing of the owner supported Ms. Caldwell’s claim of discrimination based on familial status. FHC Cooperating Attorney Steven Tomkowiak filed suit on behalf of Ms. Caldwell in U.S. Federal District Court, the case was assigned to Judge Arthur J. Tarnow.
Single parent Sapphira Azizuddin contacted the FHC to report that she was denied an application for a one-bedroom townhouse because she planned to share the unit with her child. Testing supported this claim. FHC Cooperating Attorney Eric Spector filed on behalf of Ms. Azizuddin in U.S. Federal District Court, the case was assigned to Judge Bernard A. Friedman.
FHC Cooperating Attorney Gayle Rosen filed suit on behalf of Stacey and Bradlee Chapman. According to Mrs. Chapman, her family was denied the rental of a duplex apartment in Milan, Michigan because her then fourteen-year-old son would be living in the apartment. According to the suit David Latham, owner of the apartment, advised the Chapmans that he would not be interested in renting to a family with a teenaged child. Testing by the FHC supported the Chapman’s claim of discrimination based on familial status. Filed in Federal District Court, the case was assigned to Judge John Corbett O’Meara.
Stacey Faulk sued Holiday Star Apartments on the basis of familial status. Faulk told the FHC she was denied an apartment because she has a child. According to the suit, the owner stated that no children were allowed and that the apartments were for students. Faulk said she told the agent that it was illegal for him to discriminate and that he told Faulk to go ahead and sue him.
Cooperating Attorney Richard McHugh and co-counsel Michael Gatti, from Legal Services of Southeastern Michigan, defended Alissa Schwabb in the eviction proceedings and filed a counter claim in Washtenaw County Circuit Court alleging violations of the Federal Fair Housing Act and the Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act based on familial status. The complex is managed by Charles Reinhart Company. Schwabb sued Reinhart along with the Pattengill Condominium Association Board President, a Board member and a resident.
The mother of two small children, Pamela Thomas tried to rent at Parkhill Apartments in Ypsilanti. Ms. Thomas claims she was denied housing because Parkhill did not allow children above the first floor and there were no first floor units available.
The Schillers, a couple with three children, were denied housing at McKinley-owned Meadowbrook Village apartments because Meadowbrook has a two person per bedroom limit. The Schillers told the FHC that the bedrooms at this complex were unusually large. FHC investigation concluded that one of the two bedrooms was large enough for three people.
Debra Johnson sued Stadium Apartments for familial status discrimination. Johnson planned to rent a two-bedroom unit for her and three children. Testing and a witness statement support the claim.
After the birth of their third child, the Harbors received an eviction notice. The notice stated that because their new baby was a boy, they would have to move out, and had the baby been a girl (like their two older children) they might have made an exception for them to stay. FHC Cooperating Attorneys Jonathan Rose and Jonathan Weber filed the suit.
Stacey Faulk tried to rent an apartment near the EMU campus. She contacted the FHC to report that Barbara Maes turned her away after Faulk said she would share the unit with her new baby. FHC Cooperating Attorney Michael J. Steinberg filed suit after FHC attempts at conciliation were unsuccessful.
Regina Armstrong told the FHC she was forced by the owner to move out of her apartment after she complained of noise from the neighbors. Armstrong claims the owner moved her into another building with no cold running water. FHC testing supported Armstrong’s claim of discrimination based on familial status.
Marlys Magennis worked with FHC Cooperating Attorney David Cahill to file a familial status suit against Edna Shoner. The Magennis family includes a teenaged son. FHC testing supported Magennis’ claim.
Hillary Runyon filed suit against the Wests claiming discrimination based on familial status. Runyon told the FHC she was denied a unit for herself and two children because, according to the owner, the unit was too small for her family. Testing showed the owner’s willingness to rent to a group of three adults.
Tashie Hawkins (mother of two) was denied the opportunity to apply for a two-bedroom apartment at Maplewood Apartments, because according to Hawkins, they have a policy prohibiting a brother and sister from sharing a bedroom.
Single parent Margaret Shannon contacted the FHC to report that she was denied a one-bedroom apartment because she planned to share the unit with her child. A caption on the Camelot Apartment’s application stated a policy of one person or one couple per bedroom.
The Wilcoxes claim they were denied the opportunity to move into a duplex because the existing neighbors did not want to live next door to children.
Carmel Oliver contacted the FHC to report that she was denied a two-bedroom apartment because she had a son and a daughter, and was told that children of the opposite sex couldn’t share a bedroom. The case claimed discrimination based on sex and familial status.
Cheryl Helm filed suit against the owner of Stimson Apartments claiming discrimination based on familial status. Helm said she was denied an apartment because she has a son.