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OKC apartment owner agrees to $52,500 settlement in family-status housing case
A single mother was denied a one-bedroom apartment at The Vintage at Mesta Park after saying she would live there with her 3-year-old son, according to a Justice Department lawsuit. The owner agreed to pay her $52,500 and adopt anti-discrimination policies and training under a settlement announced Oct. 22, 2026.
The owner of The Vintage at Mesta Park in Oklahoma City has agreed to pay $52,500 to a woman who said she was denied an apartment because she had a child, federal officials said Oct. 22, 2026.
The U.S. Department of Justice said the settlement resolves a lawsuit alleging that property owner Jacqueline Fox initially told the woman she was approved to rent a one-bedroom unit. After the woman said she planned to move in with her 3-year-old son, Fox allegedly told her she could not rent the apartment because children had not lived at the property in more than eight years and it was not “kid friendly.”
The woman filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which referred the matter to the Justice Department. The settlement also requires the defendants to adopt nondiscrimination policies and practices and complete training aimed at preventing future discrimination.
The Fair Housing Act bars discrimination in housing based on familial status, including refusing to rent to someone because they have children. The law was amended in 1988 to add that protection.
“Landlords” cannot deny renters simply because they have children, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said in a Justice Department statement, adding that the department would pursue relief for families harmed by such discrimination.
HUD Assistant Secretary Craig W. Trainor said the agency would continue using its authority to hold landlords accountable for violations of their legal obligations.