Nation IN BRIEF : MISSOURI : Apartment Owners Face Bias Charges

Three St. Louis-area apartment complexes have been charged by the Justice Department for alleged discrimination against African American renters. The suits charge that apartment owners and managers, all in a largely white section of St. Louis, “routinely refused to show units to black prospective tenants claiming they were unavailable.” Meanwhile, whites were told the units were available. The apartment complexes face a civil penalty of up to $50,000 for the first violation and $100,000 for subsequent violations. About 15 cases were recently filed in five states as part of a 17-month nationwide investigation.