THE ISSUE
A former Elmhurst resident filed a lawsuit recently against a leasing company because she was evicted from her apartment.

OUR VIEW
Victims of domestic violence shouldn’t be forced from their homes for reporting incidents against them.

SPEAK UP
Should this woman have been evicted from her apartment for reporting a threat made against her? Tell us what you think of this by leaving a comment below. You can also e-mail your comment here. Or leave a voice message at (630) 368-8882.

Many women throughout the nation confront a harrowing choice: Continue being subjected to domestic violence and keep a roof over their head or report the threat and lose their home.

This situation came to light in Elmhurst recently as a former resident filed a lawsuit against a firm that evicted her two years ago from an apartment complex it owns. The case exposes a loophole that has allowed women to be victimized by a broken system.

Elmhurst police responded to a call Sept. 30, 2007, made by Kathy Cleaves-Milan at the Elm Creek Apartments that her boyfriend had threatened her with a gun. She also spoke about the incident with her leasing agent, who told her that she could move her boyfriend’s items into a storage unit. A few days later, Cleaves-Milan obtained an order of protection.

Cleaves-Milan learned that she was being evicted by Aimco, which owns Elm Creek Apartments, on Oct. 3, 2007. She and her daughter moved out three days later.

She filed a lawsuit Oct. 1 against Aimco, claiming her eviction amounted to sex discrimination. In reporting the threat of violence to the police as well as to the leasing firm, Cleaves-Milan gave Aimco a reason to remove her under the firm’s tenant policy. An company spokeswoman said Cleaves-Milan moved out because she could not afford the rent, a claim that Cleaves-Milan denies.

The federal Violence Against Women Act of 2005 protects victims of domestic violence from being evicted from public or subsidized housing. But women don’t have the same protection when it comes to private housing.

A woman who reports a crime committed against her in her apartment should not be forced to leave because of that crime. She is not the perpetrator and shouldn’t be punished.

Companies that own apartment complexes have an interest in ensuring that all their tenants are safe. But they shouldn’t push victims of domestic violence into the streets for seeking the protection of law enforcement agents. Our laws must be clarified on this issue.