RENO, Nev. (AP) — A federal judge who once was legal counsel for a public housing authority in Las Vegas is sending mixed signals about whether he'll grant class-action status for a lawsuit accusing the Reno Housing Authority of breaking U.S. labor laws.
The suit claims the Reno authority illegally hires assistant apartment managers at public housing units for less than minimum wage with no overtime, in exchange for free rent.
The authority's lawyer denied the allegations during a hearing Thursday before U.S. District Judge Robert C. Jones.
Jones says he represented the Clark County authority for a decade.
He began the hearing by warning that plaintiffs face an "uphill battle" to secure class-action status, but later appeared to soften his stance. He said he planned to rule on that question within 10 days.