US: Apartment owners ill-treat Indians, sued

Washington, Jul 17: Owner and management of an apartment complex here have been slapped with a lawsuit for racially discriminating against Indians and other minorities.

US Justice Department on Friday, Jul 16 filed a lawsuit against Summerhill Place LLC, the owner of Summerhill Place Apartments; GRAN Inc, the management company, and Rita Lovejoy, the former on site manager; seeking monetary damages and an order barring further discrimination.

The US District Court for the Western District of Washington has been told that the defendants treated Indians less favourably than other tenants.

The Indian tenants were even allegedly told to "go back" by steering them away from one of the five buildings at Summerhill.

The defendants have also been accused of discouraging African-Americans, Hispanics and families with children from living at Summerhill.

"Equal access to housing in the United States is a fundamental right, and this nation will not tolerate discrimination in housing," said Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Thomas E Perez.

US Attorney for the Western District of Washington Jenny A Durkan said, "Few things are more fundamental to success and happiness than having a safe place to live. Fair and equal access to housing is a cornerstone of our society."

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