PHOENIX – Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed a lawsuit under the Arizona Fair Housing Act against Olive Branch Assisted Living, LLC, Terra Medical LLC, Terra Medical of Arizona LLC, and owner Russell Appleton. The complaint alleges that these facilities engaged in disability discrimination and retaliated against a resident with HIV.
The Arizona Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on disability and prohibits any coercive or intimidating actions that infringe on a person’s fair housing rights.
The lawsuit claims that a Casa Grande resident was removed from the facility after being diagnosed with HIV. According to the complaint, the operators disclosed her diagnosis to others, violating her privacy. When the resident filed a complaint, the defendants allegedly threatened her with a countersuit, which they later dismissed.
“Discrimination against people with HIV is an ugly relic of the past, and my office is committed to preventing and prosecuting every form of disability discrimination,” stated Attorney General Mayes. “Disability discrimination has no place in Arizona, whether it’s at the workplace, in housing, or in medical care.”
Assistant Attorneys General Ryan Bishop and Tarah White are handling the litigation, with Compliance Officer Elizabeth Amarillas leading the investigation. A copy of the complaint is available through the Attorney General’s Office.
Attorney General Mayes recently launched a public awareness campaign on housing discrimination and urges anyone experiencing housing discrimination to file a complaint with the Civil Rights Division of the Attorney General’s Office. The office can be reached in Phoenix at (602) 542-5263 or in Tucson at (520) 628-6500.
