Petitioners Withdraw Major Fair Housing Case Pending Before U.S. Supreme Court

U.S. Supreme Court Fair Housing

On February 10, several media outlets reported that a major fair housing case under review by the U.S. Supreme Court had been dismissed by agreement of the parties. The case, Magner v. Gallagher, No. 10-1032, described previously in a BuckleySandler alert, poses the question of whether disparate impact claims are cognizable under the Fair Housing Act. The result of the Supreme Court review would have had profound impact both in private litigation and government enforcement actions, and as such had drawn significant attention from civil rights groups, state attorneys general, and financial services trade groups. The City of St. Paul, which raised the question on appeal, reportedly decided not to pursue the appeal out of concern that “a victory could substantially undermine important civil rights enforcement throughout the nation.” Instead, the City will now take its case to trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. For additional reports regarding these developments, please click here and here.