Vt. Human Rights Comm'n, HV19-0018, Investigative Report & Reasonable Grounds Determination

(1) To refuse to sell or rent, or refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental of, or
otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling or other real estate to any person
because of the race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status,
religious creed, color, national origin, or disability of a person, or because a person

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Interview with Mr. Lundy, 612512019
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 intends to occupy a dwelling with one or more minor children, or because a person is
a recipient of public assistance.l03

In cases where there is only circumstantial evidence of discrimination (as opposed to direct
evidence), the evidence available is.evaluated using the three-part burden-shifting framework
used by the U.S. Supreme Court in McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green.tl4 Pursuant to
the McDonnell Douglas fiamework: (1) the complaining party must first establish a printa.ftrc:ie
case of discrimination; (2) if-the cornplainant succeeds in establishingaprinta.f'acie case,the
burden sliifts to the respondent to articulate some legitimate. non-discriminatory reason(s) for its
action(s); (3) if the respondent successfully articulates a legitimate, non-discliminatory reason
1br its action(s), the burden shifts back to the complainant who must prove by a preponderance
of the evidencel05 that the reason(s) offered by the respondent was/were not the true reasons fbr
its actions, but were instead pretext(s) for discrirnination - i.e. that its actions were not
legitirnate, but rather acts of discrimination against the person because of (in this case) Ms.
Weygant's receipt of public assistance