Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald T. Sterling has agreed to pay nearly $2.7 million to settle a housing discrimination lawsuit, the Justice Department announced today. That amount represents the “largest monetary payment ever obtained by the department in the settlement of a case alleging housing discrimination in the rental of apartments” according to a Justice Department statement.
“We’re pleased with the record award,” Civil Rights Division spokesman Alejandro Miyar told Main Justice. Miyar said because the defendants own a number of properties, the amount was appropriate for the Sterling case.
The lawsuit, first filed in 2006, alleges that the basketball team owner Sterling, his wife Rochelle Sterling and the Sterling Family Trust engaged in discriminatory rental practices on the basis of race, national origin and familial status at apartment buildings he controls in Los Angeles. The settlement must be approved by U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer.
“Housing is a basic human need, and yet decades after passage of the Fair Housing Act, far too many still encounter barriers like discrimination. Particularly in times of economic distress and rising foreclosures, we must remain vigilant to ensure all individuals have equal access to housing,” Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, said in a statement. “The magnitude of this settlement should send a message to all landlords that we will vigorously pursue violations of the Fair Housing Act.”
The defendants operate their business under the name Beverly Hills Properties, according to Reuters, and they own and manage about 119 buildings which contain over 5,000 apartments.
The settlement requires payment of a $100,000 civil penalty and $2.6 million towards a fund which will be used to pay damages to those harmed.
[...] Clippers Owner to Pay Record $2.7 Million to Settle Suit Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald T. Sterling has agreed to pay nearly $2.7million to settle a housing discrimination lawsuit, the Justice Department announced today. That amount represents the “largest monetary payment ever obtained by the department in the settlement of a case alleging housing discrimination in the rental of apartments” according to a Justice Department statement. [...]