OWNER MADE UNWELCOME COMMENTS, ADVANCES, AND OFFERED “BENEFITS” IN EXCHANGE FOR SEX
A landlord of 15 properties “in and around Dearborn Heights, Michigan,” is said to have subjected female tenants to “unwelcome comments,” made “advances,” and purportedly offered them “benefits” in exchange for having sex with him.
In a press release issued in early April, the United States Justice Department announced that it had reached a settlement with the owner of the Fair Housing Act violations that had been raised by the agency.
In addition to paying $185,000 to the impacted individuals, the owner will be prohibited from personally managing rental properties, and must, among other things, retain an independent management company to operate the properties.
In a written statement, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, noted that “No one should be denied the opportunity to live in safe and affordable housing because of their refusal to submit to a landlord’s sexual demands …. When landlords sexually harass their tenants, they deprive tenants of the ability to feel safe and secure in their own homes. The Justice Department is committed to holding predatory landlords accountable to ensure that all tenants are protected from unlawful discrimination.”
How do you think they managed that?
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