Haitian Immigrants Sue Medford Housing Authority Over Alleged Civil Rights Violations

A family of Haitian immigrants has sued the Medford Housing Authority, claiming it gave white tenants preferential treatment and didn't listen to warnings about a racist neighbor who eventually burned down their unit.

Ketteline and Kettelene Polynice, sisters from Haiti, say the housing authority ignored their repeated complaints about Jerard DeMattia, their next-door neighbor who allegedly lit their apartment on fire in July 2009, according to the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Boston.

Following the fire, the Polynices were allegedly told by housing authority officials to find a homeless shelter to stay.

The suit claims the housing authority violated the fair housing act, the state equal rights act, and deprived the Polynices of federally protected rights. It seeks unspecified monetary damages and compensation for legal fees and calls for a jury trial.

The lawsuit was submitted by Attorneys Kristen Morrill and Rahsaan Hall. Hall is an attorney with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, a non-profit group that provides pro-bono representation to victims of race or national origin discrimination.

DeMattia would regularly direct racial and ethnic slurs at the Polynice's and bang loudly on the adjoining wall of the units, the lawsuit said. The Polynice's complained to the housing authority about 20 times between when they moved into their unit at 142 Exchange Ave. in March 2006 until July 2009 about alleged harassment, the lawsuit said.

"The Polynices repeatedly complained to MHA’s property manager about DeMattia’s behavior. MHA did nothing. The manager’s response: the Polynices were 'lucky to have any housing at all,'" the lawsuit said.

Late at night on July 15, 2009, while the Polynices were not home, DeMattia allegedly lit their unit on fire, destroying the apartment and everything inside.

DeMattia was was indicted in April 2010 on charges of burning a dwelling, breaking and entering, and malicious property damage. The case is still pending in Middlesex County Superior Court, according to a district attorney spokeswoman.

According to the Polynices, housing authority officials failed to help them find a place to live the night of the fire.

"MHA manager Robert Covelle refused to provide housing or hotel
accommodations for the Plaintiffs the night of the fire and suggested that the Plaintiffs find a homeless shelter," the lawsuit said.

Calls to Covelle for comment on this report were not returned.

Along with the claims surrounding the fire, the lawsuit claims the housing authority put three white families up in the Hyatt Place Hotel for three days when there were electrical problems at an Exchange Avenue complex weeks after the fire. It also claims the housing authority would not replace a trash barrel stolen from the Polynices, but quickly replaced the lost trash barrels of white neighbors.

The housing authority was issued a summons Nov. 9. It is expected to responded to the claims by Nov. 30.