The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced that it has resolved a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against a Massachusetts landlord and his employee, according to a press release.
A settlement resolves claims that Worcester, Massachusetts landlord Mohan Prashad and his maintenance worker, David Besaw, violated the Fair Housing Act by sexually harassing female tenants.
"The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement resolving allegations that landlord Mohan Prashad and his maintenance worker, David Besaw, violated the Fair Housing Act by sexually harassing female tenants," according to a Nov. 23 Twitter post by Justia.
The settlement also resolves claims against companies Lanaton LLC and Savton LLC, which, along with Prashad, owned the properties where the harassment occurred.
"Sexually harassing tenants in their homes and retaliating against those who lodge complaints are egregious forms of sex discrimination that violate the Fair Housing Act," Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said, according to the press release. "The Justice Department is committed to safeguarding the rights of vulnerable tenants who are subjected to sexual harassment or retaliatory evictions because of their sex."
Under the consent decree, which is still pending approval by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the defendants are required to pay $65,000 to individuals harmed by the harassment along with a $10,000 civil penalty, and vacate a judgment that the defendants had obtained against a former tenant in housing court.
