JD Howlette Law files federal civil rights lawsuit to protect small minority business owner
May 15, 2023
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Maryland - Today, we filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Prince George’s County and AWE-AR Iverson Mall, LLC on behalf of small business owner Khao Hoang. The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, alleges various civil rights violations and fraud, and seeks compensation for the substantial harm inflicted upon Mr. Hoang.
The complaint alleges that, in 2019, Mr. Hoang sought to open a hair and nail salon at the Shops at Iverson Mall in Temple Hills, Maryland. Mr. Hoang alleges that he obtained all the permits and passed all the inspections that Prince George’s County Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE) required for the approval of a Use and Occupancy permit, which was needed to lawfully open the business. According to the complaint, DPIE approved Mr. Hoang’s U&O permit but then refused to issue it to him for nearly four years due to an official policy or custom that selectively discriminated against small minority business owners.