Human Rights
Landlord discriminated by refusing to accept tenants with housing vouchers.
The Commission on Human Rights brought charges against a landlord for posting a discriminatory advertisement and engaging in a pattern of discrimination based on lawful source of income. At the hearing the Commission was required to establish a prima facie case as the landlord defaulted. The Commission presented a copy of a craigslist advertisement stating “no programs” and the testimony of an investigator who called the number in the advertisement and was told the landlord was not accepting section 8 housing vouchers. ALJ John B. Spooner found this was sufficient to sustain the charge of posting a discriminatory ad, but concluded that one web listing was not enough to prove a pattern of discrimination. He recommended a civil penalty of $10,000.
Comm'n on Human Rights v. Shahid (in PDF) , OATH Index No. 1381/13 (May. 13, 2013).