Muslim police officer files civil rights lawsuit against HUD for discriminatory housing program denial

WASHINGTON, DC, October 17, 2023 – Today, Justly Prudent Law announced the filing of a federal civil rights lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Secretary Marcia Fudge, alleging discriminatory practices in the administration of HUD's Good Neighbor Next Door (GNND) Sales Program. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, claims HUD arbitrarily denied program benefits to Metropolitan Police Department Officer Mustafa Ak based on his Muslim faith and ethnic background while approving similarly situated non-Muslim officers.

The GNND program allows law enforcement officers, teachers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians to purchase homes at a 50% discount off the listing price. According to the complaint, HUD initially approved Officer Ak to purchase a home in Capitol Heights, Maryland for $165,000 - half of its $330,000 listing price. However, after Officer Ak spent over $3,000 on pre-closing requirements and obtained loan pre-approval, HUD abruptly rescinded the offer, citing his ineligibility under program rules because the property was outside DC where he worked.

The lawsuit alleges that HUD routinely approved home purchases for other DC police officers in Maryland suburbs under the same program between 2018-2022. The complaint specifically identifies six non-Muslim officers who were permitted to purchase homes in Maryland locations including Capitol Heights, District Heights, and Windsor Mill—the same type of purchase that was denied to Officer Ak.

"The only discernible difference between Officer Ak and the other approved officers was his Arabic or Muslim-sounding name," said Jordan D. Howlette, Managing Attorney at Justly Prudent, the law firm representing Officer Ak. "This case represents a disturbing example of how discriminatory practices can persist within federal programs meant to benefit public servants, despite clear civil rights protections under federal law."

The lawsuit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, as well as compensatory damages for violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fifth Amendment. The complaint argues that HUD's selective enforcement of program rules reflected "deliberate indifference" to civil rights violations and unconstitutional bias.