The owner, former property manager, and contractor of an apartment building in Lewiston, Maine have agreed to pay a total of $39,500 to settle a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department. The lawsuit alleged that the former property manager and his contractor sexually harassed a female tenant in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
Filed in June 2024 in U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, the case claims that from 2019 through 2020, defendants subjected a tenant to repeated unwanted sexual comments and touching without her consent. The lawsuit is titled United States v. Methuselah Tree, LLC., Robert Ross, RLR Enterprises, Brian Bennett, and Henry Irvin Investments, LLC.
The complaint was initially filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by the tenant. After HUD investigated and issued a charge of discrimination, the matter was referred to the Justice Department for further action.
Under terms of the settlement agreements and consent decree, the former property owner will pay $35,000 to the former tenant. The former property manager will pay $1,500 and his contractor will pay $3,000. Both are also required to complete Fair Housing Act training and must not engage in property management or residential maintenance for one year. The settling parties did not admit liability as part of these agreements.
“If you are a victim of sexual harassment by a landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online,” according to information provided by federal officials.
This resolution comes as part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative led by its Civil Rights Division along with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide. Launched in October 2017, this initiative aims to address sexual harassment committed by individuals who control access to housing such as landlords and managers. Since its start, it has resulted in 49 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing settings and recovered over $16 million for victims.
More details about fair housing laws enforced by the Civil Rights Division can be found at www.justice.gov/crt.
