Justice in Action: Relman Colfax Kicks Off 2025 with Major Civil Rights Victories
Relman Colfax PLLC
Relman Colfax is a national civil rights law firm based in Washington, DC.
This month, we witnessed President Trump use the inauguration and transition to spread messages of hate and instill fear in the communities we serve. His flurry of troubling executive orders rolling back DEI programs and undermining safeguards for transgender and gender non-conforming people and immigrants–among others–reminds of why we must remain steadfast in our mission to stand against this rising hostility.?
We remind the civil rights community that executive orders and heated rhetoric cannot wipe away Constitutional rights and those secured by federal statutes and regulations. Relman Colfax has stood firm through decades of political and social turbulence, and will do so going forward. We will challenge unlawful action by the new Administration and continue to enforce the rights of our clients and allies. In short, we will go about the business of seeking equal justice under law.
Already this year, Relman Colfax has secured critical victories for civil rights justice. These achievements in the early days of 2025 strengthen our resolve and fuel our optimism for the work ahead, even as we face persistent hurdles.?
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.” On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Relman Colfax not only celebrated his legacy but also acknowledged the challenges ahead under the new administration.??
Dr. King’s belief in justice through action inspires our work every day. We remain vigilant and prepared to fight for the civil rights of the communities we serve, guided by his timeless words, “The time is always right to do what is right.”
Attorney Alexa Milton recently spoke with the Bay Area Reporter to address harmful actions from the administration to target the LGBTQIA+ community. In reaction to nearly all LGBTQIA+ and HIV-related content being removed from the White House's website, Alexa stated, “The removal of these resources is yet another symptom of this administration's contempt for our communities. They want to overwhelm us with attacks in the hopes that we lose our footing, but it won't work. The administration may be able to delete these resources with the push of a button, but their posturing does not erase our hard-won freedoms — and we and many other advocates are ready to fight back to defend them.”
The importance of these words cannot be overstated. They are a reminder that every attack on LGBTQIA+ rights and resources is not only an affront to individual dignity but also a challenge to the broader pursuit of equality and justice.
In her litigation practice, Alexa has represented individuals and organizations in cases dealing with discrimination on the basis of disability, race, familial status, and sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), in the context of housing, lending, education, health care, and public accommodations. Alexa’s practice has included work on groundbreaking LGBTQ rights cases, including Whitaker v. Kenosha Unified School District, challenging the Wisconsin school system’s discriminatory treatment of a transgender high school student, as well as Jane Doe #1 v. Mukwonago Area School District, defending an eleven-year-old transgender girl who was denied access to the girls’ restrooms at school.
The Texas General Land Office (GLO) faces accountability this month following HUD’s determination that it intentionally discriminated against Black and Hispanic communities across the state by diverting crucial flood relief remediation funding after Hurricane Harvey.?
Despite suffering the brunt of the damage, Houston and Harris County and other areas—predominantly Black and Hispanic—were largely excluded from relief funds prioritized for Whiter, rural areas. HUD completed its investigation and referred the matter to the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ for enforcement action.??
In 2021, Relman Colfax filed a HUD complaint on behalf of Texas Housers, a nonprofit advocacy organization that models solutions to the state’s critical housing and community development problems, and Northeast Action Collective, a group of community members improving environmental conditions and increasing quality of life in their Northeast Houston neighborhoods. The complaint alleged that GLO discriminated based on race and national origin when administering its Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) program.
Relman Colfax has represented Texas Housers in a number of matters seeking to compel GLO to repair its discriminatory distribution of flood mitigation funds. In 2010, the firm helped Texas Housers secure a sweeping settlement agreement involving discriminatory distribution of CDBG-MIT funds following Hurricanes Ike and Dolly.?
With these repetitive patterns of discrimination, it is imperative that leaders at all levels act now to remedy the civil rights violations and that the DOJ ensures equality and flood mitigation for the State’s Black and Hispanic residents.?
Relman Colfax’s team consists of Sara Pratt and Michael Allen.
The Washington Post recently featured a pivotal Relman Colfax case in which the state of Virginia reached a landmark agreement to settle a class-action lawsuit involving over 50 individuals who were unlawfully held in prison beyond their scheduled release dates. This groundbreaking settlement, valued at nearly $1.6 million, underscores the systemic injustices faced by incarcerated individuals and the steadfast advocacy required to address such inequities.?
On January 29, 2025, the settlement was preliminarily approved by a district court judge, allowing for “a meaningful remedy for a widespread harm,” as Rebecca Livengood shared.
Although the Virginia Legislature had granted class members a path to earn their release through an expanded Earned Sentence Credit program, the Virginia Department of Corrections detained class members for months, and in some cases more than a year past their rightful release dates.
The suit was filed on behalf of named Plaintiff Leslie Puryear. Rebecca Livengood was quoted saying, “Mr. Puryear knows a number of the class members and it’s a real point of pride for him that he was able to bring relief to a lot of people beyond himself.”
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The Relman Colfax litigation team includes Rebecca Livengood, Ellora Israni, and Emahunn Campbell, with assistance from paralegal Jazmin Trenco.
Relman Colfax proudly represents the Denton Housing Authority (DHA) in a case where the Providence Village HOA was charged with violating the Fair Housing Act through racially motivated policies. On January 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban (HUD) issued a determination that the Providence Homeowners Association, Inc., its property management company, First Service Residential Texas, Inc., its property manager and president of PHOA violated the Fair Housing Act by engaging in intentional discrimination based on race and color against Section 8 Voucher holders.
Policies adopted by the HOA and implemented by the management company directly targeted Section 8 Voucher holders—93% of whom were Black families—by barring them from renting housing within the community. The determination issued by HUD also found numerous examples of PHOA board members engaged in racial hostility and found that the Board and management company failed to do anything meaningful to respond to the aggression and threats directed at Voucher holders.
Moving forward, this case reinforces the importance of combating discriminatory housing practices and toxic behavior that harm communities of color.
News of this charge has been making waves within the media. Catch up below:
The Relman Colfax team includes Sara Pratt, Rebecca Livengood, and Michael Allen.
Relman Colfax filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, representing a coalition of lenders, nonprofits, and small business advocates to support the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Final Rule. This crucial rule seeks to promote transparency in small business lending, giving underserved and minority-owned businesses fair access to credit.?
The amici highlight the importance of 1071 data in ensuring transparency in small business lending, which will enable innovation, promote responsible practices, and discourage predatory behavior, including for women- and minority-owned businesses that have historically faced barriers in accessing credit.
"A key Congressional purpose of Section 1071 is to allow for the identification of the needs and opportunities of women-owned, minority-owned, and small businesses,” said Sacha Markano-Stark. "The CFPB’s rule will shine a much-needed light on the small business credit market. That transparency will help all stakeholders – including lenders – ensure that small businesses across the United States have access to fair and responsible credit products that meet their needs. Amici bring unique perspectives on how the CFPB’s rule will do just that, and we are pleased that their views will be included in this important case."
The Relman Colfax team includes Stephen Hayes and Sacha Markano-Stark, with assistance from paralegal Esmeralda Hermosillo.
After 25 years of visionary leadership, John Relman has stepped down as Managing Partner of Relman Colfax and will turn the reins over to a Management Committee. John will continue to practice as a Partner and contribute to Relman Colfax’s unwavering commitment to fostering justice, equality, and innovation in the firm’s mission-driven work.
The Firm is now led by three Co-Managing Partners whose diverse perspectives and commitment to collaboration will ensure that the firm’s creative approach to civil rights advocacy will continue into its next chapter. Meet the team below:
“We are profoundly grateful for John’s unparalleled contributions in advancing civil rights and building a firm rooted in justice,” the new leadership team shared in a joint statement. “We are honored to carry forward this legacy and to lead a firm that remains a beacon for fairness, progress, and accountability.”
Looking Ahead
As we advance further into 2025, the road ahead is not without obstacles—ongoing legislative rollbacks, systemic inequities, and emerging threats to fundamental freedoms require diligent and strategic action. However, our focus remains sharp on fostering equity, combating discrimination, and protecting the rights of all individuals.
Sincerely,
The Relman Colfax Team
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