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Case Name
King v. City of Blakely / U.S. v. City of Blakely Housing Authority
PH-GA-0002
Docket / Court
1:00-cv-00109; 1:02-cv-00087-WLS ( M.D. Ga. )
Additional Docket(s)
1:02-cv-87-3 [ 02-87 ]
State/Territory
Georgia
Case Type(s)
Public Housing
Attorney Organization
Lawyers Comm. for Civil Rights Under Law
Case Summary
On June 26th, 2000, several housing tenants filed a lawsuit, known as King v. Blakely, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia. Plaintiffs sued the Blakely Housing Authority (“BHA”) under the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. §3601), Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the ...
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On June 26th, 2000, several housing tenants filed a lawsuit, known as King v. Blakely, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia. Plaintiffs sued the Blakely Housing Authority (“BHA”) under the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. §3601), Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments. The plaintiffs, represented by a combination of public interest and private attorneys, sought declaratory and injunctive relief requiring the Blakely Housing Authority to change its racially discriminatory housing policies. Plaintiffs also sought money damages as applicable.
Specifically, plaintiffs alleged that the BHA racially-segregated its housing projects, with African-American residents being placed in certain projects and white residents being placed in others. Plaintiffs further alleged that one project was reserved almost exclusively for whites since it was built, while other four projects operated by BHA are currently over 90% occupied by African Americans, with few or no white residents. Additionally, plaintiffs alleged multiple instances of misconduct by the Executive Director of BHA, including that he made statements indicating his intention to maintain racial segregation in BHA housing and that he retaliated against plaintiffs by refusing to grant them housing when they participated in a demonstration against the segregated housing at Blakely.
Immediately after filing their initial complaint, plaintiffs filed a motion to certify class. Before the motion was decided, on June 10th, 2002, the federal government filed a case against Blakely Housing Authority in United States v. Blakely. This action alleged the same misconduct that King v. Blakely alleged. After this case was filed, the court granted the motion to certify the class on September 18th, 2003. The class was certified as: “all past, present, and future African-American tenants and applicants of BHA, who were, are, or will be subjected to racial discrimination”
Eventually, the parties entered a consent decree, which was approved by the court on March 21st, 2005. The terms of the consent decree required the BHA to “create and submit for approval to the United States and HUD written Uniform and Nondiscriminatory Procedures for: (1) receiving, handling, processing, rejecting, and approving rental inquiries and applications made in-person, by telephone, or by other means; (2) assigning prospective tenants to new units; and (3) transferring existing tenants to different units.” Furthermore, the consent decree required BHA to send a certified check for $190,000 to the attorneys for private plaintiffs and another check for attorneys fees for plaintiff.
Finally, the terms of the consent decree were set for four years. The consent decree was terminated after the period elapsed in 2009. Then the case closed.
Raul Noguera-McElroy - 02/21/2019
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Issues and Causes of Action
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Issues
Constitutional Clause
Equal Protection
Content of Injunction
Develop anti-discrimination policy
Discrimination Prohibition
Goals (e.g., for hiring, admissions)
Implement complaint/dispute resolution process
Reporting
Required disclosure
Defendant-type
Housing Authority
Discrimination-basis
Race discrimination
General
Housing
Racial segregation
Wait lists
Plaintiff Type
Private Plaintiff
U.S. Dept of Justice plaintiff
Race
Black
Type of Facility
Non-government non-profit
Causes of Action
42 U.S.C. § 1982
42 U.S.C. § 1983
Fair Housing Act/Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601 et seq.
State law
Case Details
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Defendant(s)
Dan Cooper, Executive Director
Plaintiff Description
African-American tenants at a segregated housing authority.
Indexed Lawyer Organizations
Lawyers Comm. for Civil Rights Under Law
Class action status sought
Yes
Class action status granted
Yes
Filed Pro Se
No
Prevailing Party
Plaintiff
Public Int. Lawyer
Yes
Nature of Relief
Attorneys fees
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief
Settlement
Form of Settlement
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Order Duration
2005 - 2009
Filed
2000
Case Closing Year
2009
Case Ongoing
No
Additional Resources
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Urban Institute Baseline Assessment of Public Housing Desegregation Cases
Date: 2000
By: George Galster et al. (Urban Institute, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Faculty)
Citation: (2000)
[ Detail ]
[ PDF ]
Documents
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Court
Docket(s)
M.D. Ga.
03/21/2005
1:02-cv-87
PH-GA-0002-9001.pdf
|
Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
M.D. Ga.
06/13/2005
1:00-cv-109
PH-GA-0002-9000.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
General Documents
M.D. Ga.
Consent Order [ECF# 25]
PH-GA-0002-0001.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
M.D. Ga.
06/26/2000
Complaint for Declaratory, Injunctive, and Monetary Relief [ECF# 1]
PH-GA-0002-0004.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
M.D. Ga.
06/10/2002
Complaint [ECF# 1]
PH-GA-0002-0003.pdf
|
Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
M.D. Ga.
03/21/2005
Order [ECF# 190-1]
PH-GA-0002-0002.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
People
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Judges
Sands, Willie Louis
(M.D. Ga.)
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PH-GA-0002-0002 | PH-GA-0002-9000 | PH-GA-0002-9001
Plaintiff's Lawyers
Acosta, R. Alexander
(District of Columbia)
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PH-GA-0002-0001
Boyd, Ralph F. Jr.
(District of Columbia)
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PH-GA-0002-0003
Feld, Allison B.
(New York)
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PH-GA-0002-0004 | PH-GA-0002-9000
Gaskins, Laverne Lewis
(Georgia)
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PH-GA-0002-0004 | PH-GA-0002-9000
Gifford, William
(Georgia)
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PH-GA-0002-0003 | PH-GA-0002-9000 | PH-GA-0002-9001
Henderson, Thomas J.
(District of Columbia)
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PH-GA-0002-0004 | PH-GA-0002-9000
Horth-Neubert, Stacy R.
(New York)
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PH-GA-0002-0004 | PH-GA-0002-9000
Johnson, Kenneth D.
(District of Columbia)
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PH-GA-0002-0003 | PH-GA-0002-9000 | PH-GA-0002-9001
Kilson, Nancy
(New York)
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PH-GA-0002-0001 | PH-GA-0002-0004 | PH-GA-0002-9000
Koslow, Jennifer Pra
(Georgia)
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PH-GA-0002-9000 | PH-GA-0002-9001
Lanier, Betty Walker
(Georgia)
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PH-GA-0002-9000
Levy, Allen W.
(District of Columbia)
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PH-GA-0002-0001 | PH-GA-0002-9000 | PH-GA-0002-9001
Magagna, Joan A.
(District of Columbia)
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PH-GA-0002-0003 | PH-GA-0002-9000 | PH-GA-0002-9001
Miller, Meredith R.
(New York)
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PH-GA-0002-9000
Murphy, Donna M.
(District of Columbia)
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PH-GA-0002-0001
Murphy, Rose J
(New York)
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PH-GA-0002-9000
Raimondi, Christopher A.
(New York)
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PH-GA-0002-9000
Rosenbaum, Steven H.
(District of Columbia)
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PH-GA-0002-0001
Ruisanchez, Alberto
(District of Columbia)
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PH-GA-0002-0001 | PH-GA-0002-9000 | PH-GA-0002-9001
Thabault, Isabelle M
(District of Columbia)
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PH-GA-0002-0003
Wood, Frank Maxwell
(Georgia)
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PH-GA-0002-0001 | PH-GA-0002-0003
Ziegler, Cheryl Lynn
(District of Columbia)
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PH-GA-0002-0004 | PH-GA-0002-9000
Defendant's Lawyers
Hosmer, Michael T
(North Carolina)
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PH-GA-0002-9000 | PH-GA-0002-9001
Langstaff, Robert B. Jr.
(Georgia)
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PH-GA-0002-0001 | PH-GA-0002-9000 | PH-GA-0002-9001
Mathis, Benton J.
(Georgia)
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PH-GA-0002-9000 | PH-GA-0002-9001
Parker, Christopher E.
(Georgia)
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PH-GA-0002-9000 | PH-GA-0002-9001
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