Determined whether a domestic violence survivor could remove her name from the electronic court record of an eviction complaint to prevent adverse impacts on future house opportunities.
Download Printable File (1.09 MB)Full Case Title:
- Fairness in the Courts
- Violence Against Women and Girls
- Workplace Equality and Economic Empowerment
Year:
Legal Momentun's Role:
- Joined Amicus Brief
Brief:
Summary of the Case
Indigo Real Estate attempted to evict Ms. Rousey after violent altercations with her partner. Indigo finally agreed to dismiss the Superior Court case because it is a violation of Washington state law to evict or discriminate against a tenant because she is a victim of domestic violence. Ms. Rousey wanted to replace her full name with her initials in the electronic court record of the eviction complaint. Landlords using tenant-screening companies to deny housing applications based on the mere existence of legal complaints, and Ms. Rousey wanted to avoid losing housing opportunities and similar problems in the future.
Decision
The Superior Court denied Ms. Rousey's request. She appealed, and Legal Momentum joined an amicus brief to explain why victims of domestic violence have compelling privacy and safety concerns in cases like these. The Appellate Court eventually ruled in Ms. Rousey’s favor.
