A former student at Brigham Young University has sued Provo apartment complex The Village after claiming he was evicted when his landlord found out he was gay
A former student at Brigham Young University (BYU) has sued Provo apartment complex The Village after claiming he was evicted when his landlord found out he was gay, reports The Salt Lake Tribune.
On January 23rd, Andrew White was served an eviction notice by complex managers, ten days after a disagreement with his three male roommates escalated from gay slurs into physical violence.
A copy of the eviction notice alleges White had violated lease policies, including residential living standards, the "quiet enjoyment of others” and BYU's honor code. Details of the alleged violations were not provided in the notice.
However, in seeking more than $101,000 in damages, White argued he was wrongly evicted and said the apartment manager caused him emotional distress by disclosing information which had in the past "led directly to an assault on him and a loss of living quarters."
White says that when he refused to leave the apartment, the roommates entered his room, dragged him out of bed and began removing his personal belongings. The unnamed roommates are also alleged to have again threatened White with physical violence.
Of course it's THE VILLAGE MT"@CJaneKendrick: we need a non-discrimination resolution in Provo http://t.co/32BYO2sDi8 #provoforall"
— Pete Busche (@PeteBusche) March 26, 2015
The suit was settled yesterday for an undisclosed sum. As part of the settlement, White said the lawsuit was a tenant dispute and not meant to imply discrimination by apartment management.
Watch a BYU Understanding Same-Gender Attraction "It Gets Better" video, AFTER THE JUMP…
Earlier this month, Utah Governor Gary Herbert has signed a bill adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the state's nondiscrimination laws in housing and employment.
