Immigrant Tenants to Protest Offensive Remarks
Immigrant Tenants To Protest Offensive Remarks by Major Real Estate Developer “The lack of affordable housing is a crisis. We need solutions, not stereotypes.” On Thursday, September 1, 2016, at 11:00am, immigrant tenants from Northern Virginia will join together in protest of offensive and stereotypical comments made by David Hillman, chairman and CEO of Southern […]
Read moreDiscrimination Complaint – Richmond Public Schools
Federal civil rights complaint asserts that RPS discipline policies discriminate against African-American students and students with disabilities. RICHMOND, VA – Two students and the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People have filed an anti-discrimination complaint against Richmond Public Schools with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. […]
Read moreH.U.D. Settles Richmond Discrimination Complaint
Settlement requires reforms to Richmond’s maintenance code enforcement, fair housing practices, and services to limited English proficient residents. A civil rights complaint filed last year with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) by Latino mobile home park residents against the city of Richmond was resolved last week by agreement between HUD and […]
Read moreLawsuit Challenges Virginia’s License Suspension Policy
Lawsuit Challenges Virginia’s Unconstitutional System of Suspending Licenses of Low-Income Drivers Who Are Unable to Pay Court Debts Commonwealth Fails to Consider Debtor’s Financial Circumstances or Offer Alternatives to Hundreds of Thousands of Virginians Who Can’t Pay Costs and Fines Virginia is trapping hundreds of thousands of low-income residents in debt and poverty by […]
Read moreRichmond Fair Housing Lawsuit Settles
Future code enforcement to be more responsive to vulnerable residents’ needs; language access plan to help City residents access services. Thirty-three current and former mobile home park residents have reached a negotiated settlement to their housing discrimination lawsuit against the City of Richmond. The residents, represented pro bono by the Legal Aid Justice Center and […]
Read moreNew Report on Court Debt Collection Practices
Driven Deeper into Debt: Unrealistic Repayment Options Hurt Low-Income Court Debtors The majority of Virginia General District Courts have either disregarded or fallen significantly short of recommendations issued last summer by the Judicial Council of Virginia, the state’s top judicial policy making body, aimed at helping low-income residents pay off court fines and costs, according […]
Read moreLawsuit Challenges “Habitual Drunkard” Law
Federal Class Action Challenges Antiquated Virginia “Habitual Drunkard” Law That Jails Homeless Individuals The Legal Aid Justice Center and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP filed a class action lawsuit in federal court challenging the constitutionality of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s “habitual drunkard” statute, to the extent it criminalizes the possession or consumption of […]
Read moreJustChildren Releases School Policing Report
Protecting Childhood: A Blueprint for Developmentally Appropriate School Policing in Virginia The JustChildren Program at the Legal Aid Justice Center has released a report identifying the problems of placing law enforcement officers in schools. The report provides a list of detailed recommendations that will improve school safety, increase academic achievement, and help break down the […]
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