Noah Patel
In 1973, the US Department of Justice sued Trump Management, Donald Trump, and his father Fred for racial discrimination in housing. The lawsuit alleged that Trump Management had violated the Fair Housing Act of 1968 by refusing to rent apartments to Black people. Testers from the New York City Human Rights Division found that Black prospective renters were told there were no apartments available, while white renters were offered accommodations in the same buildings. Despite Trump's assertion that the government couldn't prove its case, the lawsuit resulted in a settlement, with Trump agreeing to end discriminatory practices without admitting wrongdoing. However, Trump Management was sued again in 1978 for continuing to discriminate against Black tenants.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 1973 |
| Parties Involved | Trump Management, Donald Trump, Fred Trump |
| Accusation | Discrimination against African Americans in renting practices |
| Evidence | Use of codes ("C" or "9") to label Black applicants, testimonies from Black prospective tenants and Trump employees |
| Outcome | Settled without admission of wrongdoing; Trump agreed to end discriminatory practices |
| Follow-up | Sued again in 1978 for violating terms of 1975 settlement; case closed in 1982 |
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What You'll Learn
- In 1973, the US Department of Justice sued Trump Management for racial discrimination
- Trump Management employees used codes to label Black applicants
- Trump Management was sued again in 1978 for continuing to refuse to rent to Black tenants
- In 1983, two Trump Village properties were still over 95% White
- In 1973, Trump settled the racial discrimination lawsuit without admitting wrongdoing
In 1973, the US Department of Justice sued Trump Management for racial discrimination
In 1973, the US Department of Justice filed a civil rights case against Fred Trump, Donald Trump, and their real estate company, Trump Management, Inc. The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, alleging that the Trumps and their company had engaged in racial discrimination in their renting practices.
The complaint alleged that the firm had committed systemic violations of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 across 39 buildings, containing over 14,000 apartments. Evidence was gathered by "testers" from the New York City Human Rights Division, who posed as prospective renters. The "testers" found that black renters were told there were no apartments available, while white renters were offered apartments in the same buildings.
During the investigation, four of Trump's agents admitted to using a "C" (for "coloured") or "9" code to label Black applicants. These agents also stated that they were told their company "discouraged rental to blacks" or that they were "not allowed to rent to black tenants." Additionally, three doormen testified that they were instructed to discourage prospective Black renters by lying about rental prices or claiming no vacancies.
As a result of the lawsuit, the Trumps were required to take several actions to address the discriminatory practices. They had to place ads in newspapers, informing minorities that they had equal housing opportunities at their properties. They also had to provide the New York Urban League with a weekly list of apartment vacancies for two years, allowing the League to provide qualified minority applicants for a certain proportion of vacancies. While the Trumps settled the suit, they did not admit any wrongdoing.
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Trump Management employees used codes to label Black applicants
In 1973, the US Department of Justice sued Trump Management, Donald Trump, and his father, Fred Trump, for racial discrimination in renting practices. The Justice Department's lawsuit focused on 39 properties in New York City, alleging that employees were instructed to inform African American lease applicants that there were no open apartments.
Undercover "testers" sent by organizations such as the Urban League and the New York City Human Rights Division found that prospective Black renters at Trump buildings were told there were no apartments available, while white applicants were offered apartments in the same buildings.
During the investigation, four of Trump's agents admitted to using racial codes to label Black applicants. Specifically, they used "'C' (for 'colored') or 'No. 9' to indicate Black applicants. These agents also stated that they were told their company "discouraged rental to blacks" or that they were "not allowed to rent to black tenants." They were instructed to send prospective Black renters to the central office, while white applicants could have their applications accepted on-site.
Three doormen testified that they were told to discourage prospective Black renters by lying about rental prices or claiming no vacancies. Trump employees who rented properties testified that they were told the company only wanted to rent to "Jews and executives" and "discouraged rental to blacks."
The Trumps settled the 1973 lawsuit, agreeing to end the discriminatory practices without admitting wrongdoing. However, in 1978, the Justice Department alleged that Trump Management had breached the agreement, and the company was sued again for continuing to refuse to rent to Black tenants.
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Trump Management was sued again in 1978 for continuing to refuse to rent to Black tenants
In 1973, the Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Trump Management, Donald Trump, and his father Fred for racial discrimination in renting practices. The lawsuit alleged that the company refused to rent to people of colour in New York by misrepresenting the availability of apartment units. The Trumps settled the suit in 1975, agreeing to end the discriminatory practices without admitting any wrongdoing.
However, in 1978, Trump Management was sued again by the DOJ for violating the terms of the 1975 settlement. The government accused the company of continuing to deny housing to non-white applicants and identified a pattern of "racial steering". Despite these accusations, Trump and his lawyer, Roy Cohn, denied the charges. The new case dragged on until 1982, when the original consent decree expired and the case was closed without any further action.
The 1978 lawsuit against Trump Management was based on numerous examples of black tenants being denied apartments owned by the company. Undercover housing activists reported experiencing different treatment based on their race when inquiring about rentals. For instance, when a black woman attempted to rent an apartment in a building owned by Trump, she was told that nothing was available. However, when a white woman met the same apartment manager shortly after, she was offered a choice between two units.
In addition to these individual accounts, the DOJ also identified a pattern of racial steering, where black families were confined to a small number of complexes. The government noted that while more black families were renting in Trump-owned buildings, they were often concentrated in specific complexes. Furthermore, tenants in these buildings complained about poor living conditions, including falling plaster, rusty light fixtures, and bloodstained floors.
The 1978 lawsuit against Trump Management is a significant example of the ongoing racial discrimination faced by Black individuals in the United States when renting apartments. Despite the previous settlement, it was alleged that Trump Management continued to engage in discriminatory practices, denying housing opportunities to Black tenants and contributing to racial segregation in housing.
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In 1983, two Trump Village properties were still over 95% White
In 1973, the US Department of Justice sued Trump Management, owned by Donald Trump and his father Fred, for racial discrimination in housing. The lawsuit alleged that Trump Management had refused to rent apartments to Black people. Testers from the New York City Human Rights Division found that Black prospective renters were told that there were no apartments available, while white prospective renters were offered apartments in the same buildings.
Trump Management settled the lawsuit in 1975, agreeing to familiarise themselves with the Fair Housing Act, advertise vacancies to Black renters, provide a list of vacancies to the Urban League weekly, and allow the Urban League to present qualified candidates for 20% of vacancies in properties that were less than 10% non-White. However, in 1978, the Justice Department alleged that Trump Management had breached the agreement by continuing to refuse to rent to Black tenants. Trump and his lawyer, Roy Cohn, denied these charges, and the case was closed in 1982 when the original consent decree expired.
Despite the settlement and Trump's denial of the 1978 charges, in 1983, the Metropolitan Action Institute found that two Trump Village properties were still over 95% White. This finding suggests that Trump Management may have continued to engage in discriminatory rental practices, even after agreeing to end such practices in the 1975 settlement.
The pattern of racial discrimination in Trump's rental practices has been well-documented, with instances of bigotry spanning decades. Trump's history of racism and intolerance has been widely acknowledged, and his presidential campaign was fueled by nativist sentiment directed at non-white immigrants.
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In 1973, Trump settled the racial discrimination lawsuit without admitting wrongdoing
In 1973, the US Department of Justice filed a civil rights lawsuit against Trump Management, Donald Trump, and his father Fred Trump, alleging racial discrimination against African Americans in their renting practices. The lawsuit claimed that Trump Management systematically violated the Fair Housing Act of 1968 across 39 buildings, comprising over 14,000 apartments.
Evidence was gathered through "testers" from the New York City Human Rights Division. These testers found that prospective black renters were informed of no apartment vacancies, while white renters were offered apartments in the same buildings. During the investigation, four of Trump's agents admitted to using codes like "C" for "coloured" or "9" to label Black applicants. These agents also stated that they were instructed not to rent to Black tenants and that Black applicants should be sent to the central office, while white applicants could have their applications accepted on-site. Additionally, three doormen confessed to being told to discourage Black applicants by lying about rental prices or claiming no vacancies.
In 1973, Trump and his company settled the racial discrimination lawsuit without admitting any wrongdoing. As part of the settlement, Trump was required to explicitly state in advertisements that they rented to people of all races, but he did not have to admit fault or change his policies regarding welfare recipients. Despite the settlement, Trump maintained his innocence, claiming that the government couldn't prove its case.
However, in 1978, the Justice Department alleged that Trump Management had breached the terms of the 1975 settlement by continuing to refuse to rent to Black tenants. Trump and his lawyer, Roy Cohn, denied these charges. This new case remained in litigation until 1982 when the original consent decree expired, and the case was closed without a resolution.
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Frequently asked questions
In 1973, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Trump Management, Donald Trump, and his father Fred, for discrimination against African Americans in their renting practices. Testers from the New York City Human Rights Division found that Black prospective renters were told there were no apartments available, while white prospective renters were offered apartments in the same buildings. Four of Trump's agents admitted to using a "C" (for "colored") or "9" code to label Black applicants. Trump settled the suit, without admitting wrongdoing.
The Trumps settled the case in 1975, agreeing to end the discriminatory practices without admitting any guilt. However, in 1978, the Justice Department alleged that Trump Management had breached the agreement, and the case dragged on until 1982 when the original consent decree expired and the case was closed.
Yes, in 1983, the Metropolitan Action Institute noted that two Trump Village properties were still over 95% White. Additionally, there have been numerous accounts from Black prospective tenants who claimed they were denied housing in Trump properties due to their race.
