Case: Brown v. Federle Realtors

1:73-09051 | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

Filed Date: Dec. 18, 1973

Closed Date: 1979

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Case Summary

Plaintiffs filed a class action lawsuit on December 18, 1973, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on behalf of homeowners and prospective homeowners in the Cincinnati metropolitan area, alleging that defendant-realtors engaged in racial steering, in violation of the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601-3619, and federal civil rights statutes, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981, 1982. Plaintiffs sought a declaration of their rights under federal law and an injunction against future racial…

Plaintiffs filed a class action lawsuit on December 18, 1973, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on behalf of homeowners and prospective homeowners in the Cincinnati metropolitan area, alleging that defendant-realtors engaged in racial steering, in violation of the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601-3619, and federal civil rights statutes, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981, 1982. Plaintiffs sought a declaration of their rights under federal law and an injunction against future racial steering by defendants. The District Court certified the two classes on October 24, 1974.

The parties eventually entered into a settlement agreement, which provided that the realtors would not engage in racial steering and that they would create a "Board of Review" to guard against racial steering in real estate in the Cincinnati area. At least one of the defendants settled its case on January 1, 1976, although we do not have information on the dates on which the other defendants settled.

Summary Authors

Andrew Nash (6/2/2008)

People


Attorney for Plaintiff

Goldberg, Mitchell B. (Ohio)

Laufman, Robert Franklin (Ohio)

Attorney for Defendant

Hague, Gregory D. (Ohio)

Holzapfel, Eric C. (Ohio)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

1:73-09051

Affidavits

Brown v. Federle

Dec. 5, 1973

Dec. 5, 1973

Declaration/Affidavit

1:73-09051

Verified Complaint

Brown v. Federle

Dec. 18, 1973

Dec. 18, 1973

Complaint

1:73-09051

Memorandum on Racial Steering

Brown v. Federle

Dec. 18, 1973

Dec. 18, 1973

Pleading / Motion / Brief

1:73-09051

Consent Decree of the Harold W. Hague Company d/b/a Hague Realtors

Brown v. Federle

Jan. 1, 1976

Jan. 1, 1976

Settlement Agreement

Docket

Last updated Jan. 25, 2024, 3:03 a.m.

Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.

Case Details

State / Territory: Ohio

Case Type(s):

Fair Housing/Lending/Insurance

Key Dates

Filing Date: Dec. 18, 1973

Closing Date: 1979

Case Ongoing: No

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

Property owners living in parts of Hamilton County in which no one race exceeds 90%; or prospective home-buyers in Hamilton County who have had dealings with the defendant.

Plaintiff Type(s):

Private Plaintiff

Public Interest Lawyer: No

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: Yes

Class Action Outcome: Granted

Defendants

Federle Realtors, Private Entity/Person

Hague Realtors, Private Entity/Person

M & K Realty, Inc., Private Entity/Person

Parchman & Oyler Co., Private Entity/Person

Case Details

Causes of Action:

Fair Housing Act/Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601 et seq.

Available Documents:

Complaint (any)

Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Damages

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Form of Settlement:

Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree

Order Duration: 1976 - 1979

Issues

General:

Racial segregation

Discrimination-area:

Housing Sales/Rental

Steering

Discrimination-basis:

Race discrimination

Race:

Black

White