The University of Nebraska at Kearney will pay $140,000 and change its policies to settle a lawsuit, brought by the U.S. Justice Department, alleging that it violated federal law by not allowing students living in university housing to keep assistance animals. Under the new policy, the Associated Press reports, students will be able to apply for “reasonable accommodations,” and may require a doctor’s note.
The settlement stems from the case of a former student, Brittany Hamilton, who said the university did not allow her to keep in university housing her dog Butch, whom she said helped her deal with anxiety and depression. The Justice Department argued that the denial was a violation of the Fair Housing Act. A federal judge ruled for the student in 2013.
The university insists it did not break the law. The campus’s chancellor, Douglas A. Kristensen, told the AP the settlement would allow the university to avoid a trial.
