Dr. Raven Baxter is a molecular biologist with a Ph.D. in science education. She is also a Black woman. In May 2024, Dr. Baxter tried to purchase a house in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Dr. Baxter offered the asking price, and the seller initially accepted her offer. But during the escrow period, Dr. Baxter learned that the seller, who is white, wanted to pull out of the deal because she did not want to sell her home to a Black person. The events were reported in the New York Times.
Dr. Baxter hired Relman Colfax to represent her, and a settlement was reached. The seller’s realtor and her agency paid $600,000 and agreed to provide additional training to their employees and agents about the requirements of the Fair Housing Act and related state and local laws.
Dr. Baxter has since purchased a different home, and she is set to be the face of a nationwide educational campaign about housing discrimination by the National Fair Housing Alliance. As Dr. Baxter told the Times, “Good things can happen when people stick up for themselves. Everyone deserves to be part of the American dream.”
The Relman Colfax team consists of John Relman and Ellora Israni, with paralegal assistance from Esmeralda Hermosillo.