DFEH OBTAINS TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER TO HALT EVICTION OF FAMILY DURING DISCRIMINATION INVESTIGATION

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has obtained a temporary restraining order to halt the eviction and harassment of a family that filed a discrimination complaint with DFEH against a Grover Beach apartment complex.

The landlords served a low-income mother and her three children with a lease termination notice a month after they formally complained to DFEH about a policy prohibiting minors from being in any common area of the complex without adult supervision. Courts have found that such broad policies discriminate against families with children. The family alleges it has suffered ongoing harassment about children being in common areas.

After the landlords initiated eviction proceedings, the DFEH intervened to halt the eviction until the investigation into the discrimination allegations can be completed. The DFEH has statutory power to halt an eviction or seek other injunctive relief when it finds probable cause to believe that the allegations in a discrimination complaint are true and violate the Fair Employment and Housing Act.

“It is illegal for landlords to evict, harass, threaten, or otherwise retaliate against tenants who make allegations of discrimination,” said DFEH Director Kevin Kish. “We will not hesitate to take immediate legal action to prevent retaliation and protect the integrity of our investigations when violations warrant it.”

The temporary restraining order was issued by the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court.

The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) is the state agency charged with enforcing California’s civil rights laws. CRD’s mission is to protect the people of California from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and state-funded programs and activities, and from hate violence and human trafficking. For more information, visit calcivilrights.ca.gov.

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