A federal lawsuit alleging that an apartment complex manager in Slidell engaged in racial discrimination against potential renters has been settled for $35,000, according to the nonprofit Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center.
The original complaint, which was filed in the Eastern District of Louisiana about a year ago, was dismissed Jan. 13 by Judge Sarah Vance, with the parties paying their own legal costs.
Cashauna Hill, the center’s executive director, said that defendants Tall Pines Slidell LLC and manager Carey Rizzuto had agreed to pay the center $35,000 to end the litigation. Further details of the settlement were not disclosed.
“The funds will support the mission and work of the center,” which works to end housing discrimination in the state, Hill told the Louisiana Record.
The center engaged in an investigation to determine the defendants’ racial practices by sending both African American and white “testers” to determine the availability of housing units at the Slidell property, according to the lawsuit.
“Defendants misrepresented the availability of apartments and refused to negotiate with prospective African American tenants on the basis of their race,” the February 2021 complaint states. “Defendants further declared their practice of segregating families with children into one specific area of the complex.”
The Fair Housing Action Center continues to see violations of the federal Fair Housing Act, which was signed into law in 1968, according to Hill.
“Unfortunately, we are continuing to see high rates of racial discrimination and discrimination against families with children at the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center," she said. “... Cases like this show that this kind of unlawful behavior still does continue.”
The filing of such housing bias lawsuits accomplishes multiple goals, Hill said. The lawsuits send a message to housing providers that they will be held accountable for their actions, illustrate to members of the community what unlawful actions look like and promote the center as a community resource, she said.
“Racial discrimination and disability discrimination are most common forms of discimination we receive complaints about,” Hill said.
Sometimes problems can be resolved when housing providers agree to change their ways to avoid potential lawsuits, she said. Other times solutions can be reached after the center files a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to Hill.