Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
The United States government has secured a default judgment against Bakersfield residents Juvenal Salazar and Javier Salazar Sr., as well as Van Nuys resident Ricardo Covarrubias. The judgment was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith, following allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
The lawsuit claimed that between December 2018 and March 2019, Juvenal Salazar engaged in sexually harassing behavior towards a female tenant. This included asking for sexual favors, making inappropriate comments about her appearance, and touching her without consent. Additionally, he took photographs of personal pictures belonging to the tenant and her daughter without permission. The tenant reported these incidents to Javier Salazar Sr., who managed the property and is also Juvenal's father. Following the complaint, the Salazars allegedly retaliated by neglecting to repair a leaking gas line in her residence, leaving her without heat for a month and forcing her relocation. Covarrubias, as the property owner, was deemed responsible for their actions since they acted as his agents.
The defendants did not respond to the complaint or contest the motion for default judgment. Consequently, U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston ruled in favor of the United States, mandating that Salazars and Covarrubias pay $45,000 in damages to the tenant. They are also required to undergo training on Fair Housing Act requirements and implement an anti-sexual harassment policy. Moreover, Juvenal Salazar is prohibited from working in property management or maintenance for ten years.
Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith stated: "For four months, this tenant refused the repeated sexual advances by the maintenance worker at her home, and when she reported the sexual harassment, she faced retaliation." She added that such wrongful actions caused significant harm and distress to the victim.
Victims of sexual harassment or other housing discrimination can contact the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or email fairhousing@usdoj.gov for assistance. Reports can also be made through HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or online.
The Justice Department's Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative aims to combat such misconduct by landlords and others with housing authority roles since its inception in October 2017.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Fuentes managed this case on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.
