DETROIT — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Michigan, Eastern), published as received.
DETROIT — The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against William Aaron Asper, the owner and manager of rental properties located in and around Westland, Michigan, for engaging in sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, alleges that William Asper sexually harassed female tenants beginning in 2018, and continuing to the present day. According to the complaint, Asper has offered housing-related benefits in exchange for sexual contact, made unwelcome sexual comments and advances to female tenants, subjected female tenants to unwelcome touching and groping, and taken adverse housing-related actions against female tenants who refused his sexual advances. The lawsuit also names as defendants the William Aaron Asper Living Trust and REPSA Enterprises LLC, both entities that owned rental properties during Asper’s management and sexual harassment of female tenants.
“Women should not live in fear when they pay their rent or seek repairs,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to vigorously enforce the Fair Housing Act’s prohibition on this conduct.”
“A man who preys on vulnerable women in need of a home deserves the greatest condemnation,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan. “We will do our best to protect women against gross exploitation.”
“It is unacceptable for landlords to threaten or commit sexual harassment or abuse against tenants,” said Special Agent in Charge Machelle Jindra with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG). “Every person deserves to feel safe in their home. HUD OIG will continue to work with the US Attorney’s Office to hold housing providers accountable for this type of horrible conduct.”
The lawsuit, which is the result of a joint investigative effort of the Justice Department with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Office of Inspector General, seeks monetary damages to compensate persons harmed by the alleged harassment, civil penalties to vindicate the public interest, and a court order barring future discrimination.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another 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. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 52 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered nearly $16.2 million for victims of such harassment.
