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Brad Pittwill remain a defendant in the lawsuit that claims his charitable foundation Make It Right built inadequate housing for Hurricane Katrina victims.
In doing so, she denied Pitt’s November 2018 request to dismiss him from the lawsuit, in which he claimed he had no personal involvement, instead suing the executive architect of the houses, John Williams, on behalf of Make It Right.
His attorney argued the residents have not provided any facts “that support a conclusion that Mr. Pitt owed some personal duty to plaintiffs,” according to the motion.
The documents also argued the residents didn’t provide “factual allegations” that theWar Machineactor had a hand in any “wrongful conduct” toward the homeowners either through direct actions or communications.
Pitt’s attorney maintained that the plaintiffs’ claims of “negligent infliction of emotional distress” can’t be brought up unless they suffered physical injuries, which they have not, according to the court documents.
The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Ron Austin, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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In a statement provided to PEOPLE after the lawsuit, Pitt’s charitable organization, Make It Right, stated that it “has filed a lawsuit against its former executive architect,John Williams, and his firm for monetary damages to remediate and repair affected homes in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, arising from his engagement with the Foundation. Make It Right continues to work proactively with homeowners in the Lower 9th Ward, and we will make no further comment on the case at this time.”
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Some of the problems with the homes include mold from trapped water, poor air ventilation, structural problems, electrical problems, plumbing problems and rotten wood, according to the complaint.
While members of the foundation promised residents they would provide the engineering reports from inspections, homeowners were allegedly told they needed to sign “a packet” in order to begin repairs.
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Francis and Decuir claim the packet contained a non-disclosure form and a binding arbitration document that needed resident signatures — which they allege Make It Right tried to gain while they were under duress, according to the complaint.
source: people.com
