ERC Settles Housing Discrimination Lawsuit with AIR Property Management
In July 2024 the Equal Rights Center (“ERC”) announced a settlement with AIR Property Management TRS, LLC, resolving a housing discrimination lawsuit. ERC is represented by WLC and Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll.
The agreement includes significant reforms to ensure equal access for applicants using housing vouchers at AIR’s Washington D.C. properties located in Cathedral Heights, McLean Gardens, and Logan Circle.
Under the settlement, AIR will:
Stop denying applicants based on criminal records older than seven years, evictions older than three years, and income-based housing subsidies.
No longer consider credit scores for those using housing subsidies.
Revise tenant screening policies to comply with D.C. law and provide training for employees.
Update its website to list all eligibility criteria and ensure compliance through regular testing.
This Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate the countless contributions of Hispanic and Latinx communities to the Greater Washington DC region and nationwide. At WLC, we renew our commitment to fighting for racial equity and economic justice for the Hispanic and Latinx communities in the DMV. Whether we’re aiding tenant organizers living in squalid conditions, or representing workers subjected to sex harassment, or litigating challenges to the Trump administration’s rescission of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”) and Temporary Protected Status (“TPS”) – we are proud to stand with our community partners in striving to build a more inclusive and equitable society for all.
Board Spotlight
Board Member Profile: Leon Rodriguez (Seyfarth)
Leon Rodriguez joined the WLC board of directors in January 2024. Leon is a partner at Seyfarth Shaw, LLP, where he serves as the chair of Seyfarth’s Government Relations and Policy Group and is a founding co-chair of the Immigration Compliance and Enforcement Specialty Team. Over his 35-year career, Leon has worked as a prosecutor, law firm partner, and government agency leader. He previously served as the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at the federal Department of Homeland Security (2014-2017), Director of the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services (2011-2014), and as Chief of Staff of the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section (2010-2011). Before joining the Obama administration, Leon was the Montgomery County Attorney (2008-2010). In addition to his WLC Board Service, Leon has served on the board of CASA de Maryland and HIAS.
On why he joined the WLC board, Leon says: "WLC presents the perfect opportunity to pursue impact litigation on behalf of my neighbors in immigrant communities in the Greater Washington DC region who face threats to their legal rights every day.”
WLC Staff Spotlight
Staff Profile: Joselyn Machado
Joselyn Machado joined WLC in 2022. As the Workers’ Rights Advocate, Joselyn coordinates the Workers’ Rights Clinic which provides free legal advice to workers in the Greater Washington DC region on sexual harassment, wage theft, and other employment discrimination matters. Joselyn trains volunteers to staff the Clinic and manages the logistical coordination of the virtual and in-person clinics in Anacostia (Washington, DC). Joselyn also conducts Know-Your-Rights trainings to educate workers on their legal rights.
Joselyn plays an instrumental role in supporting WLC’s employment discrimination litigation. She has helped to investigate and develop a sexual harassment case brought by a Latina mother and daughter against a Virginia construction company.
Joselyn is a University of Maryland graduate. Originally from El Salvador, Joselyn is fluent in Spanish and has completed the Multicultural Community Service’s community interpreter training.
Pro Bono Profile
Pro Bono Team at Skadden and Jeffrey Light help to achieve major victory in police accountability case!
In August 2024 WLC won a major victory in a challenge to abuse of police power. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit held that the Fourth Amendment prohibits police officers from retaining seized property – such as mobile phones, cameras, or vehicles – for an unreasonable time.
This important decision stems from Cameron v. DC where plaintiffs argued that the Metropolitan Police Department wrongfully held personal items of people arrested for months or even years, without any legitimate reason, causing significant personal and professional harm. The plaintiffs in Cameron are represented by WLC; Skadden pro bono attorneys Tara Reinhart, Julia York, and Joe Sandman; Law Office of Jeffrey Light, and the ACLU of DC.
The D.C. Circuit court decision affirms the importance of the Fourth Amendment’s crucial protections and will protect thousands of D.C. residents who are arrested without ever being charged. The ruling is a major step forward in holding police accountable and protecting the rights of DC residents and people across the nation.
In June 2024 the WLC Board of Directors approved a new strategic plan to guide our racial justice work in the Greater Washington DC region. To join us for a virtual briefing on the new strategic plan on Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. (ET), click here.
WLC is Coming to Your Neighborhood!
This fall, WLC house parties will take place in neighborhoods throughout Washington, DC. WLC staff and board will discuss our racial justice work:
Saturday, Sept. 28 brunch: Cleveland Park, DC
Friday, Oct. 18 happy hour: Capitol Hill, DC
If you would like to attend one of these parties, please contact Development Director Melissa Nussbaum at melissa_nussbaum@washlaw.org or 202/319-1070.
Reach Out to Us
Ryan Downer ✉Legal Director Joanne Lin ✉Executive Director
The Washington Lawyers’ Committee works to create legal, economic and social equity through litigation, client and public education and public policy advocacy.
