August 8, 2019

Sexual Harassment Prevention in the Workplace Media coverage of recent high profile sexual harassment cases and the rise of the #metoo and #timesup movements has caused many organizations to question whether they are giving their employees all the correct information regarding preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights invites you to attend one of our interactive and informative workshops on Sexual Harassment Prevention in the Workplace. The training workshop will focus on sexual harassment laws, prevention, and employer liability. We will discuss types of sexual harassment, current statistics, case examples, common workplace scenarios, and best practices to prevent and respond to sexual harassment. This course is ideal for employers, managers, supervisors, human resource & employee relations staff as well as any employee. All attendees will receive a Certificate of Attendance at the end of the workshop. Workshop instructors include staff and attorneys from the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. Please note: These are free workshops. Please contact Director of Education & Outreach Tara Taylor at tara.taylor@maryland.gov or 410-767-6459 if you have any accommodation needs. Space is incredibly limited - register today to save your spot! Once full, any new registrations will be placed on a wait list. One person will not be permitted to register multiple attendees. Please make sure each attendee registers separately online. Check-in begins at 8:30am, and the class begins at 9:00am. Free parking is available at the training locations.

Join Us At One Of Our Bi-Monthly Workshops Friday, September 6, 2019 9:00am - 1:00pm Maryland Public Television 11767 Owings Mills Boulevard Owings Mills, Maryland 21117 REGISTER HERE Wednesday, November 13, 2019 9:00am - 1:00pm Anne Arundel Community College 101 College Parkway Cade Fine Arts Center, Room 215 Arnold, Maryland 21012 REGISTER HERE Thank you to Maryland Public Television and Anne Arundel Community College for hosting these workshops!

Victim of Discrimination? Training & Partnerships

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Cordially Invites You To "Doing The Work" Exhibit Opening Celebrating 50 Years of the Maryland Commission on African American History & Culture (MCAAHC)

Saturday, August 10 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm Banneker-Douglass Museum 84 Franklin Street, Annapolis, MD 21401  The Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture’s mission to discover, document, preserve, collect, and promote Maryland’s African American heritage is demonstrated through its educational and public programs, preservation and funding programs, and the collections housed by the Banneker-Douglass Museum (BDM). This exhibit showcases ephemera, photographs, and archival documents to detail the history and impact of MCAAHC. Doing the Work invites visitors to learn about the Commission’s impact on their local communities and consider their personal role in preserving Maryland’s African American heritage. Click here to register.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                              Contact: Megan Haberle Poverty & Race Research Council (PRRAC) mhaberle@PRRAC.org August 1, 2019 PRRAC CONDEMNS HUD'S NEW ASSAULT ON THE FAIR HOUSING ACT  HUD Proposal Seeks to Weaken Critical Anti-Discrimination Provision WASHINGTON - The forthcoming Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding the Discriminatory Effects Standard (also known as Disparate Impact) was recently leaked to reporters and is now available prior to its publication in the Federal Register.  Like HUD's 2018 suspension of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule, and HUD's attempted suspension of the Small Area FMR Rule in 2017, this proposed rule is an attempt by the Trump administration to dismantle the civil rights infrastructure that is one of the crowning achievements of our democracy. The Discriminatory Effects Standard (commonly known as Disparate Impact) of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 upholds our societal obligation to fairness by respecting and protecting equal opportunity. The goal of the Disparate Impact standard  is to root out unjustified practices that discriminate against groups protected by the Fair Housing Act, even where there is no specific evidence of discriminatory intent.  The standard is based on an understanding of how hidden, stubborn prejudice can result in needless, facially neutral policies that discriminate against protected classes in practice.  Without clear support for this standard from the federal government, both public and private actors will be given virtual license to design and implement discriminatory policies. Some of the most egregious elements of this proposed rule include: An elimination of the long-standing and well-established principle of "perpetuation of segregation" from the definition of Disparate Impact; A new set of "prima facie case" requirements that will make it virtually impossible to bring a successful case; A distorted new requirement of "robust causality" that will give rise to endless litigation and help defendants evade liability for obvious discriminatory practices; and A statement that arbitrary and grossly discriminatory exclusionary zoning decisions will now be beyond the scope of the fair housing act, unless they are part of a broader "policy." PRRAC Executive Director Philip Tegeler  called the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking "a deeply cynical proposal that would put most types of modern housing discrimination beyond the reach of the courts." PRRAC Deputy Director Megan Haberle also stressed that "HUD is ignoring the historical and current practices that continue to drive segregation in our cities and metro areas." PRRAC  740 15th Street Northwest, 3rd Floor Washington, DC 20005 www.prrac.org See what's happening on our social sites

PRRAC, 1200 18th St. NW #200, Washington, DC 20036

Tue, Jul 23, 2019 at 3:26 PM

FAIR HOUSING NEWS

HUD Press Release: HUD Settlement regarding California Rental Discrimination

Dear Colleague,

WASHINGTON- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it has approved a $10,000 Conciliation Agreement between a California fair housing group, CADO Real Estate Group and LCG Harrington, LLC, the agents and mortgage company for Boardwalk Townhomes in Corona, California. This agreement settles allegations that Boardwalk Townhomes discriminated against African American home seekers. Read the Agreement.  

The Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to impose different terms or conditions on the sale of a dwelling based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability.

“A person’s race should never be a factor in determining whether they have the opportunity to obtain the housing of their choice,” said Anna María Farías, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “Today’s settlement represents HUD’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that individuals in positions to affect access to housing meet their obligation to comply with the Fair Housing Act.”

The case came to HUD’s attention when The Fair Housing Council of Riverside County (FHCRC), a HUD Fair Housing Initiatives Program agency, filed a complaint alleging that fair housing tests it conducted showed that real estate agents for CADO Real Estate Group treated testers posing as African-American home seekers less favorably than testers posing as white home seekers. Specifically, FHCRC alleged that its tests showed that African-American testers were told that there were no homes available when there were and were required to meet tougher pre-qualification requirements than white testers. CADO Real Estate Group, LCG Harrington, LLC, and their agents deny having engaged in any discriminatory behavior.   

Under the terms of the agreement, CADO Real Estate Group will pay $10,000 to FHCRC, and its agents will attend fair housing training.

People who believe they have experienced discrimination may file a complaint by contacting HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at (800) 669-9777 (voice) or (800) 927-9275 (TTY). Housing discrimination complaints may also be filed by going to hud.gov/fair housing, or by downloading HUD's free housing discrimination mobile application, which can be accessed through Apple and Android devices. 

HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and http://espanol.hud.gov. You can also connect with HUD on social media  or sign up for news alerts on HUD's Email List.

You can follow Secretary Carson on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

FAIR HOUSING NEWS

HUD Press Release - HUD CHARGES TEXAS LANDLORDS WITH RACE DISCRIMINATION

Wed, Jul 10, 4:56 PM

Dear Colleague,

WASHINGTON- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it is charging Roderick Apartments, LLC in Clinton, Maine, and one of its agents with discrimination for denying a veteran with disabilities the right to keep his assistance animal. Read HUD’s charge.

The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing providers from denying or limiting housing to people with disabilities, or from refusing to make reasonable accommodations in policies or practices for people with disabilities. This includes not allowing people with disabilities (impairments that substantially limit major life activities) to have assistance animals that perform work or tasks, or that provide disability-related emotional support. 

“No person with a disability should be denied the accommodation they need, especially individuals who served in the Armed Forces to defend our freedom,” said Anna María Farías, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “HUD will continue to work to ensure that housing providers meet their obligation to comply with this nation’s fair housing laws.”

The case came to HUD’s attention when a veteran with disabilities filed a complaint alleging that Roderick Apartments refused to lease an apartment to him because he uses a dog as an assistance animal.  HUD’s Charge alleges that tests subsequently conducted by Pine Tree Legal Assistance (PTLA), a nonprofit agency that provides free civil and legal assistance to low- income Maine residents, confirmed  Roderick Apartments’ policy of refusing to rent to persons with an assistance animal. In one test, a PTLA tester posing as an apartment seeker who uses an assistance animal allegedly was told that having the animal would be grounds for eviction. 

"Fair Housing Act charges on the basis of disability demonstrate HUD's continued commitment to ensuring that housing providers offer equal opportunities to all persons looking to rent a home," said Paul Compton, HUD's General Counsel. 

HUD's charge will be heard by a United States Administrative Law Judge unless any party elects for the case to be heard in federal court. If the administrative law judge finds after a hearing that discrimination has occurred, he may award damages to the complainant for his loss as a result of the discrimination. The judge may also order injunctive relief and other equitable relief, as well as payment of attorney fees. In addition, the judge may impose civil penalties in order to vindicate the public interest.

People who believe they have experienced discrimination may file a complaint by contacting HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at (800) 669-9777 (voice) or (800) 927-9275 (TTY). Housing discrimination complaints may also be filed by going to hud.gov/fair housing, or by downloading HUD's free housing discrimination mobile application, which can be accessed through Apple and Android devices.

HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at 

www.hud.gov and http://espanol.hud.gov. You can also connect with HUD on social media  or sign up for news alerts on HUD's Email List.

You can follow Secretary Carson on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.