DiCello Levitt and May Jung Law Represent Congress Park Residents and Shooting Victims in Multiple Lawsuits Alleging Discriminatory Housing Practices That Turned a Ward 8 Complex Into a ‘Killing Zone’
WASHINGTON – DiCello Levitt and May Jung Law have filed two related lawsuits in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia against the owners and managers of Congress Park I & II Apartments, alleging that years of systemic neglect, disinvestment, and ignored safety failures turned the Ward 8 apartment complex into what residents describe as a “killing zone.”
The lawsuits include a proposed class action brought on behalf of Congress Park residents and a civil rights and personal injury lawsuit brought on behalf of residents who were shot on the property and the mother of a man killed inside his apartment. Together, the complaints allege that the defendants denied residents basic housing services, safety protections, and habitable living conditions in violation of District of Columbia fair housing and civil rights laws.
Congress Park is a 377-unit, federally subsidized apartment complex in Ward 8, where more than 80 percent of residents are Black. According to the complaints, the defendants allowed the property to deteriorate for years while investing heavily in luxury housing developments in other less predominantly Black neighborhoods.
The lawsuits allege that Congress Park accumulated more than 1,100 housing code violations and more than $1.1 million in fines, while the defendants failed to maintain functioning locks, lighting, security systems, and other basic safety measures. Residents, city agencies, and members of the media repeatedly warned the defendants about unsafe and uninhabitable conditions, but the complaints allege those warnings were ignored. The lawsuits assert that this pattern of neglect amounted to discrimination in the provision of housing services and facilities, forcing residents to live in fear or leave their homes altogether.
The complaints further allege that violence at Congress Park was foreseeable. Between 2019 and 2025, at least 22 shootings occurred at or near the property, resulting in no fewer than 19 deaths. On May 26, 2025, James Robinson was shot and killed inside his apartment. The complaints allege that the gunman gained access through an unsecured entry door with a broken lock — one of many known safety failures that went unaddressed. That same day, plaintiffs Kendall Simmons and Myron Jones, Jr. were shot multiple times and survived, suffering catastrophic, life-altering injuries.
Beyond the shootings, the complaints describe years of uninhabitable conditions, including chronic mold persisting for decades, extended outages of heat and water, raccoon infestations so severe that 15 animals were removed from a single apartment, and darkened hallways and stairwells that residents say became magnets for criminal activity.
“Fair housing laws exist to prevent exactly this kind of systemic neglect, where a predominantly Black community is denied the basic services and protections that others take for granted,” said Diandra “Fu” Debrosse, Co-Chair of DiCello Levitt’s Civil and Human Rights Litigation Practice Group. “This lawsuit is about civil rights, accountability, and making sure powerful property owners cannot profit from discrimination while families are left to live in fear.”
“This is my neighborhood,” said LaRuby May, Co-Founder of May Jung Law. “I’ve talked with seniors who told me they are afraid to leave their homes. One grandmother shared that she wakes up every morning thanking God for a tree outside her window because she believes it has stopped bullets from coming inside. No one should have to live like that.”
May also described how neglect and violence have fractured families and caregiving relationships.
“In one family, a young man who served as his grandmother’s home health caregiver was shot while visiting her,” May said. “Now he’s terrified to come back, even though she still needs care. That’s what eviction through neglect looks like — when dangerous conditions push people out and leave the most vulnerable behind. We will fight to ensure this community has the resources and legal power to hold these owners accountable and reclaim the right to live safely in their own homes.”
The proposed class action asserts claims under the District of Columbia Human Rights Act and the District of Columbia Consumer Protection Procedures Act, as well as claims for breach of contract, breach of implied warranty of habitability, and negligence arising from defendants’ failure to maintain safe and habitable conditions. The personal injury and civil rights lawsuit asserts claims for negligence and negligence per se, and plaintiff Carnecia Robinson brings claims for wrongful death and survival on behalf of her son’s estate.
The cases are Kendall Simmons et al. v. S.E. Washington Development Associates L.P. et al., Case No. 2026-CAB-004921, and Terri Chandler et al. v. S.E. Washington Development Associates L.P. et al., Case No. 2026-CAB-004896, both filed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Counsel
Civil Rights and Personal Injury Action: Diandra “Fu” Debrosse, Kenneth P. Abbarno, Scott Gilmore, Alexius Miller, and Éviealle J. Dawkins of DiCello Levitt LLP; and LaRuby May of May Jung Law.
Class Action: Diandra “Fu” Debrosse, Adam J. Levitt, John E. Tangren, Alexius Miller, and Joseph “J.J.” Nelson of DiCello Levitt LLP; and LaRuby May of May Jung Law.
About DiCello Levitt
DiCello Levitt LLP is one of the leading plaintiffs’ law firms in the United States. Nationally recognized for our work in high-stakes class actions, mass torts, and complex litigation, we have recovered more than $25 billion for clients, including individuals, businesses, and communities. We take on some of the world’s most powerful interests, pursuing justice that reshapes industries and improves lives.
Built for trial, DiCello Levitt is among the few plaintiffs’ firms with a dedicated trial center, where our acclaimed trial lawyers bring both art and science to courtroom preparation and trial strategy. We are frequently appointed to lead major multidistrict litigation (MDLs) and consistently recognized among the nation’s top plaintiffs’ firms by Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation, and The National Law Journal, which has named DiCello Levitt Plaintiffs’ Firm of the Year and Trial Strategy Innovation Firm of the Year.
About May Jung Law
May Jung Law is a woman-of-color-owned personal injury and civil rights firm based in Washington, D.C., and Southern California. The firm is dedicated to using the law to make positive change in the lives of its clients and to challenge the systemic barriers that stifle the progress and growth of Black and Brown communities. We are unapologetic about our mission and fierce advocates for the people we are privileged to serve. Justice for our people is personal. Learn more at mayjung.com.
