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Y. Johnson v University Management

#W94-62 | Location: Ypsilanti | Court Level: State | Settlement: $8,500

Categories: Race, Rental
Tags: African American, Black

Yma Johnson filed a race discrimination suit against University Management Inc. In her complaint to the Fair Housing Center, Johnson stated that she and a white friend wanted to rent an apartment at 510 N. Congress in downtown Ypsilanti where the friend knew the manager. In a letter to the FHC, Johnson’s friend wrote about her conversation with the manager’s cousin and then with the manager himself–”I told him what [his cousin] had told me, that he wouldn’t rent to Yma because she was Black and he said yes, that was true.” The letter, along with testing evidence, supports Ms. Johnson’s discrimination claim.

In March of 1995, FHC Cooperating Attorney Michael J. Steinberg filed suit on behalf of Ms. Johnson in Washtenaw County Circuit court. The case is assigned to Judge Patrick J. Conlin. Yma accepted $8,500 to settle the case.

Yma Johnson smiling while sitting on the arm of her couch.

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