Families Fund Scholarship From Slumlord Settlement
Fourteen families who successfully sued over slum conditions in their Los Angeles apartment building presented Southwestern University with $25,000 from their settlement to fund scholarships for Latino law students.
The families staged a 16-month rent strike and sued landlord Teodora Deogracias three years ago over conditions in their MacArthur Park-area building at 685 S. Coronado St., tenant leader Estebana Bonnilla said. “Many apartments were missing windows, had no heat, water or mailboxes,” she added. “Raw sewage flowed in some apartments and into the street, kids were bitten by rats.”
As part of the more than $1-million settlement, Deogracias agreed to provide $25,000 for scholarships for low-income Latino students at Southwestern University School of Law. The scholarships will be presented annually in the name of Dino Hirsch, the late tenant organizer who helped the tenants prepare their rent strike and suit.
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