HOUSTON — An Asian American Muslim employed by the Houston Housing Authority is claiming discrimination and invasion of privacy.
Muhamad Quamar filed a pro se complaint Jan. 18 in Harris County District Court against Houston Housing Authority and Keland Lewis alleging violation of the Privacy Act, discrimination, retaliation and other claims.
Quamar, an Asian American Muslim works at the Houston Housing Authority as a senior web developer. He alleges in his complaint that the Houston Housing Authority uses Definiti LLC, a national retirement services firm that administers its employees 401(k) plan. Quamar claims in May of 2022, he requested a "financial hardship withdrawal" from his pension because of a "casualty loss" to his principal residence and asked that the request be kept confidential.
Quamar claims that the hardship requests are sent out by the Housing Authority's human resources department and that the department requested documents that were not listed on the official hardship withdrawal form. He further claims the defendant never sent his hardship form to Definiti and instead engaged its general counsel as an act of retaliation over a 2020 complaint he made against the human resources department and general counsel regarding invasion of privacy and discrimination.
Quamar seeks monetary relief of $200,000 or less, interest and all other just relief.
Harris County District Court case number 2023-03166