OKLAHOMA LANDLORD AGREES TO $52,500 SETTLEMENT IN FEDERAL HOUSING DISCRIMINATION CASE INVOLVING SINGLE MOTHER AND CHILD

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA — The U.S. Department of Justice has secured a $52,500 settlement in a federal housing discrimination lawsuit involving an Oklahoma City landlord accused of refusing to rent an apartment to a single mother after learning that her three-year-old son would live with her. The agreement also requires the property owners to implement nondiscrimination policies and complete fair housing training to prevent similar incidents.

The settlement, announced October 22, 2026, resolves a civil lawsuit against Jacqueline Fox and Vintage View 2, LLC, the company that owns The Vintage at Mesta Park, a 36-unit apartment complex in Oklahoma City. Federal prosecutors alleged that the defendants violated the Fair Housing Act by denying an otherwise prospective tenant housing because she had a child.

According to the Justice Department’s complaint, Patience Godwin sought to rent a newly remodeled one-bedroom apartment at the complex in July 2022. The property was conveniently located near her workplace and across the street from a school she hoped her son would attend. After viewing the apartment, Godwin informed the rental agent that she wanted to proceed with the rental arrangements.

Fox, who managed the property and was the sole owner of Vintage View 2, LLC, initially indicated that Godwin would be approved to move into the apartment. Prosecutors alleged that the situation changed when Godwin disclosed that her young son would be living with her.

According to the complaint, Fox refused to rent the apartment after explaining that children had not lived at the property for more than eight years and that the complex was not considered suitable for children. The refusal prompted Godwin to file a housing discrimination complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

HUD investigated the allegations and issued a charge of discrimination before the matter proceeded to federal court. The Justice Department and Godwin filed separate civil complaints in August 2025, and the cases were consolidated in March 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma.

The lawsuit alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act’s protections against discrimination based on familial status. Congress expanded those protections through the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, generally prohibiting landlords and other housing providers from denying eligible applicants because they have children under 18.

The law also prohibits discriminatory rental terms and advertising that expresses preferences or limitations based on familial status. Certain legally recognized exemptions exist, including qualifying housing for older persons, but landlords cannot independently establish a blanket prohibition on children simply by describing a property as unsuitable for families.

Under the settlement agreement, Fox and Vintage View 2, LLC must pay Godwin $52,500 to compensate her and her minor child for the harm alleged in the lawsuit. The agreement establishes an initial payment of $12,500, followed by four installments of $10,000 scheduled for November 2026 through February 2027.

The defendants must also adopt and implement a formal nondiscrimination policy, distribute it to existing tenants, and establish procedures for reporting housing discrimination complaints. Advertising and promotional materials must include appropriate equal housing opportunity notices, while fair housing posters must be displayed at the apartment complex.

Additional requirements include mandatory Fair Housing Act training for employees, property managers, rental agents, and others involved in approving or denying rental applications. The training must be conducted by a qualified independent provider approved by the federal government and must specifically address discrimination against families with children.

The agreement also provides enforcement measures if the required financial payments are not made. The parties have agreed to seek dismissal of the civil litigation with prejudice once the monetary settlement obligation has been satisfied.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division identified discrimination against families with children as an ongoing concern in residential housing. HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Craig W. Trainor also emphasized the federal protections established to prevent families from being excluded from housing because of their children.

The settlement resolves the allegations without further litigation and does not constitute a criminal conviction or a judicial finding that the defendants committed the alleged discrimination. Its terms nevertheless impose financial and operational obligations intended to address the complaint and prevent future violations.

The case highlights the legal responsibilities of residential landlords when evaluating prospective tenants with children. Under federal fair housing protections, rental decisions must comply with applicable nondiscrimination requirements, regardless of a property’s previous tenant demographics or a landlord’s personal preferences concerning family occupancy.

United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, United States of America and Patience Godwin v. Jacqueline Fox and Vintage View 2, LLC, Case No. 5:25-cv-00936-PRW, Document 24-1, Settlement Agreement, filed October 22, 2026, 9 pages. (Free Download)

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