Housing Discrimination

By: Derek Hawkins//January 17, 2017//

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WI Court of Appeals – District III

Case Name: Girard Jones et al v. John Baecker et al

Case No.: 2015AP325

Officials: Stark, P.J., Hruz and Seidl, JJ.

Focus: Housing Discrimination

Girard and Lindsay Jones appeal a judgment dismissing their state and federal disparate treatment housing discrimination claims against John Baecker. The Joneses’ race discrimination claims rest principally on Baecker’s explicit identification of Girard as “African American,” and the Joneses’ family status discrimination claims rest principally on Baecker’s stated belief that the Joneses’ desired rental unit was too small to accommodate their sixperson family. We conclude the circuit court properly granted summary judgment to Baecker because no reasonable fact finder could conclude, on this record, that race or family status was a substantial factor motivating Baecker’s refusal to rent to the Joneses. Accordingly, we affirm the circuit court on this issue.

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Attorney Derek A. Hawkins is the managing partner at Hawkins Law Offices LLC, where he heads up the firm’s startup law practice. He specializes in business formation, corporate governance, intellectual property protection, private equity and venture capital funding and mergers & acquisitions. Check out the website at www.hawkins-lawoffices.com or contact them at 262-737-8825.

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