KENT, Ohio – Eric Holder’s U.S. Department of Justice thinks Kent State University violated the Fair Housing Act in when it refused to allow a student to keep a dog in her campus apartment, so it’s suing the school – four years later.

“The university and its employees refused to allow students with psychological or emotional disabilities to have assistance animals in university housing, according to the lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Cleveland,” the Plain Dealer reports.

“The suit also charges that Kent State treats students with psychological and emotional disabilities who need to live with assistance animals less favorably than similarly situated students with other types of disabilities such as mobility disabilities or vision impairments.”

MORE NEWS: Know These Before Moving From Cyprus To The UK

Jacqueline Luke filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development after Kent State in 2010 denied her request to keep a dog in student housing to help her deal with anxiety.  A university psychologist told her the animal, which was not a trained service dog, would help alleviate her problem, the news site reports.

Luke apparently did not follow up to ensure the university approved her request for an “emotional service animal,” but acquired a dog anyway and moved in into the two-bedroom university apartment she shared with her husband. The university realized what happened in February 2010 when neighbors complained about barking, then enlightened Luke about her denied request and demanded the couple remove the dog, according to the Plain Dealer.

Instead, the couple moved and filed a complaint with federal officials.

“The Fair Housing Act requires housing providers, including universities operating student housing, to grant reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities to ensure equal housing opportunities,” Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Molly Moran said in a press release.

“Housing providers may not discriminate against individuals based on the type of disability they have. The Justice Department is committed to enforcing fair housing laws that protect the rights of all people, including individuals with psychological or emotional disabilities, to obtain reasonable accommodations when they are needed.”

The federal lawsuit was filed against the University, its board of trustees, and university officials for allegedly violating equal housing laws by denying the dog.

MORE NEWS: How to prepare for face-to-face classes

The university, which does allow trained service dogs in student housing, issued a press release Monday that really didn’t say much at all.

“Kent State University is aware of the charges stemming from claims made several years ago,” the statement read, according to the Plain Dealer. “Helping our students succeed remains a top priority, and we look forward to discussing the facts of this case at the appropriate time.”

The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages for Luke and her husband, “and $16,000 in civil damages from the university and each (of the four individuals) named in the charges,” according to the news site.