Massachusetts Attorney General Urges Supreme Court to Recognize Disparate Impact Claims Under Fair Housing Act - October 29, 2013

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced on October 28 that her office has filed a brief in the U.S. Supreme Court urging it to recognize disparate impact claims under the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA). The brief   was joined by 11 states including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington.   The brief was submitted in the case of Township of Mount Holly v. Mt. Holly Gardens Citizens in Action, Inc., scheduled for argument on December 4, 2013.  Disparate impact claims are used when a policy that appears to be objective or neutral leads to results that disproportionately affect a protected group and have been an important tool to fight housing discrimination, including discriminatory lending practices.  Click here for more background and information on the case.