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Anderson v. Yarmain

#W17-090 | Location: Ann Arbor | Court Level: Federal | Settlement: $15,000

Categories: Familial Status, Rental
Tags: Children

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.

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