The Long and Winding Litigation Road of Race and Referenda

Abstract

The Cleveland-Marshall Fair Housing Law Clinic accepted a case seven years ago that has since wound its way down a long road, stopping at every level of both the Ohio and federal court systems. The last stop in the long line of litigation was the U.S. Supreme Court, just one day after the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Cleveland-Marshall adjunct Professor Edward G. Kramer argued on behalf of Columbus-based developer, Buckeye Community Hope Foundation. This article details one fair housing journey to the corner of First and Constitution Avenues.

Keywords: Fair Housing Act, discrimination, racism, referenda, building permit, affordable housing, Buckeye Community Hope, Cuyahoga Falls, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, John Marshall Law School, Edward Kramer, Diane Citrino, Kenneth Kowalski, Stephen Lazarus, Michael Seng

JEL Classification: D72, J7, R31,