This week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a lawsuit against the Housing Authority of the Town of Lone Wolf, Oklahoma and two of its former employees. A DOJ press release from December 15, 2020 announced a lawsuit that alleges that former employees David Haynes and Myrna Hess violated the Fair Housing Act and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when they refused an African-American woman’s housing application for her and her five-year-old daughter on the basis of race.

On June 26, 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit held that the removal of illegally appointed employees who had otherwise not committed misconduct or performed poorly still promoted the efficiency of the service.