WRP co-counseled the first case to challenge the application of “zero-tolerance for violence” policies to victims of domestic violence.
In 1999, after Tiffani Alvera was assaulted by her husband in their home and she obtained a restraining order, her landlord ordered her to vacate the apartment because of the violence of her husband. The property, managed by C.B.M. Group, refused to take her husband off the lease or allow her to move to another apartment.
Following a Department of Housing and Urban Development investigation, the federal government and Ms. Alvera filed a federal lawsuit against C.B.M. Group, the property owner, and employees in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon in 2001 alleging sex discrimination. In November 2001, the parties entered into a landmark consent decree, requiring C.B.M. Group to not evict, or otherwise discriminate against tenants because they have been victims of violence, including domestic violence.
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