In a decisive move, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has taken a firm stance against what he deems as discriminatory practices by the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency (OHFA). Drummond sent out a call to action today, penning letters to Governor Kevin Stitt and Michael Buhl, OHFA's Board of Trustees Chair, calling for the removal of agency appointees accused of endorsing preferences based on race and sexual orientation in their housing programs.
The crux of the controversy stems from allegations outlined in a federal lawsuit, Elaine Wilkinson et al. v Oklahoma Finance Agency et. al., which claim that OHFA appointees have unlawfully discriminated against white, Asian and Pacific Islander homeowners because of their race and against heterosexual homeowners due to their sexual orientation. According to Drummond's office, these actions by OHFA's officials violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and 42 U.S.C. § 2000d. "As Attorney General, I will not tolerate Oklahomans being subjected to discrimination of any kind—especially by officials entrusted with stewarding taxpayer dollars," Drummond asserted in the letter to Stitt.
Accounts from the Attorney General's office reveal that the agency's official website aggravatingly featured different criteria for homeowners based on racial and sexual orientation classifications. Details from the site mentioned that "African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, [and] LGBTQ+" homeowners could qualify for benefits at an income cap of up to 150 percent of the area's median, in stark contrast, to the 100 percent median income threshold set for white and heterosexual applicants.
In response to these accusations, Drummond explicitly requested that the OHFA halt these alleged discriminatory practices and demanded a website update to assure the public that such considerations will no longer play a part in fund allocation decisions. "I urge you to immediately remove the offending appointees at OHFA, and replace them with qualified Oklahomans who will treat all applicants equally according to the law," Gentner communicated to the Governor in his missive.
The implications of the Attorney General's intervention are not merely a matter of bureaucratic reshuffling but reflect the ongoing national conversation surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI) initiatives. These recent events in Oklahoma serve as a reminder of the delicate balance institutions must strike to uphold anti-discriminatory laws while endeavoring to address systemic inequalities.
More information can be found via the Oklahoma Attorney General's official news release.
