MCCR Secures Landmark Fair Housing Settlement from Housing Providers and Insurance Company who Discriminated Against Tenant
T. Gibson vs. Mr. and Mrs. Swann & Windsor-Mount Joy Mutual Insurance Company was first filed with MCCR in June 2020
In April 2026, the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR) secured a landmark fair housing settlement – one that breaks new ground for Maryland and sends a clear message: discrimination, in any form, will not be tolerated. This case, a matter of first impression before Maryland courts, challenged not only housing providers in Dorchester County, but also the role of the insurance industry in enabling barriers to equal housing opportunity.
As we recognize Fair Housing Month, MCCR does more than commemorate – we confront. This case is a stark reminder that the fight for fair housing is far from over.
The Complainant, Ms. T. Gibson, a Maryland resident living with a disability, sought a basic and lawful accommodation: the ability to live with her assistance animals to manage her disability-related symptoms. She did everything right – secured housing, paid her rent and deposit, and followed the process. Yet on the very day she was to move in, she was denied entry into what was to be her new home – not because of her need, but because of the breed of her assistance animals.
Mr. and Mrs. Swann, the housing providers and Respondents in this case, pointed to a restrictive insurance policy with Windsor-Mount Joy Mutual Insurance Company, the additional Respondent, as justification, claiming their coverage would be canceled if they honored her rights. Rather than engage in the interactive process required by law, they shut the door – forcing the Complainant out and leaving her without housing for nearly a year.
Let’s be clear: policies do not excuse discrimination. Systems do not absolve responsibility. And business convenience will never outweigh civil rights.
While experiencing homelessness, the Complainant filed a complaint with the United States Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), which was forwarded to MCCR for investigation in June 2020. Following both a thorough investigation and numerous failed attempts to resolve this matter administratively between 2020 and 2023, MCCR found Probable Cause to believe that both the housing providers and the insurance company violated the Maryland Fair Housing Act. MCCR issued its written Probable Cause finding on August 23, 2023, and continued to attempt conciliation between the parties. In January 2025, the Respondents elected to move this matter to court.
MCCR’s Office of General Counsel took decisive legal action – suing both the housing providers and the insurance company in the Circuit Court for Dorchester County. The Swanns settled first after this case was filed. However, Windsor-Mount Joy Mutual Insurance Company attempted to avoid accountability through a Motion to Dismiss – but MCCR pushed back and won.
MCCR argued that when an insurance policy effectively blocks access to housing, it is not neutral – it is discriminatory in impact and unlawful in effect. The Court agreed, denying the Motion to Dismiss and affirming that insurers, too, can be held accountable when their policies make housing unavailable. This proved to be the final motivation needed to secure a settlement from the insurance company.
This ruling sends a powerful signal: entities cannot hide behind policy language to justify exclusion. It is also more than a legal victory – it is a declaration. The definition of “housing provider” must be interpreted broadly to include any individual or entity whose actions, policies, or practices deny Marylanders equal access to housing.
The case ultimately resulted in a $45,000 settlement, and mandates fair housing training for both the housing providers and the insurance company’s employees. But the true impact goes beyond dollars – it reinforces that fairness in housing is not optional, negotiable, or conditional.
This case makes one thing unmistakably clear,” said Executive Director Cleveland L. Horton II. “You cannot outsource discrimination to an insurance policy and expect to escape accountability. When systems, policies, or practices deny someone equal access to housing, we will challenge them – forcefully and without hesitation. Fair housing is not a suggestion – it is the law, and at its core, it is about human dignity. At MCCR, we will continue to stand on that principle and fight to ensure that no Marylander is pushed out, locked out, or left behind."
MCCR remains unwavering in its mission: to challenge injustice, dismantle systemic barriers, and ensure that every Marylander – regardless of disability or circumstance – has a fair and equal opportunity to call a place home.