Federal lawsuit alleges racially-discriminatory city sewer practices

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A Youngstown woman filed a federal lawsuit claiming the city failed to provide equal sewer service to the Sharonline neighborhood, that resulted in damage to her home.

Venicee Howell, of Bott Street, claims residents of Sharonline on the city’s East Side “have been denied storm sewers but charged for sewer service by the City of Youngstown, Ohio” and alleges racial discrimination.

“The Sharonline historically has received substantially less attention than other parts of Youngstown,” the lawsuit reads. “[It] has been plagued by a long history of overt and intentional racial discrimination, and has received fewer city services.”

Howell claims the city charged her for a dual-sewer system despite the absence, until recently, of any storm sewers to serve her property.

This led storm water to back up on Howell’s property, that caused damage to the property along with mold and mildew, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims other property owners in the Sharonline have been similarly affected.

Howell asks the judge to declare the suit a class action so other plaintiffs can join her claim.

She also demands $75,000 in damages and a permanent injunction prohibiting the city from providing unequal services to its residents.

The city has not filed a response to Howell’s lawsuit.