Lambda Legal announced today that it intends to sue the University of Hawai'i on behalf of a gay couple it says was not allowed to move back into family housing on the Manoa campus after living there for one year.

Joseph O'Leary was working toward a history degree during the 2006-2007 school year and lived in famly housing with Phil Ngo, according to Brian Chase, Lambda Legal senior staff attorney. When they reapplied for family housing for the 2007-2008 school year, Chase said, their request was denied in a letter that says family housing is reserved for different-sex couples.

Ngo and O'Leary now live in a more expensive off-campus apartment that requires O'Leary to pay for "significant" travel expenses, Chase said. O'Leary also had to give up his subsidized student meal plan, Chase said.

The extra costs amount to "several thousand dollars per year," Chase said.

UH spokesman Gregg Takayama said he would have no comment until UH lawyers have seen the lawsuit.