HARRISBURG — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle), published as received.
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today it filed a lawsuit against Venkatachalam Mani, a landlord in State College, Pennsylvania, for sexually harassing his female tenant and then retaliating against her when she refused his sexual advances, in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
The tenant filed a complaint against Mr. Mani with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). After an investigation, HUD determined that Mr. Mani discriminated against the applicant in violation of the Fair Housing Act and issued a charge of discrimination. After the tenant chose to have the matter decided in federal court, HUD referred the matter to the Department of Justice. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate the tenant and her children and a court order barring future discrimination.
The lawsuit alleges Mr. Mani made sexual advances toward his tenant; she rejected the advances; he sexually assaulted her; and then he engaged in months long retaliation by showing up at the leased property uninvited and failing to complete required maintenance on the property. The lawsuit also alleges that Mr. Mani’s refusal to fix a furnace after his tenant rejected his advances caused the tenant to be without heat in freezing cold temperatures and move out of the home when the furnace eventually caught fire.
“This lawsuit involves a landlord who failed to fix a tenant’s furnace despite freezing temperatures because she refused his sexual advances, forcing her family to move out even though they did not have another place to live,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This conduct is immoral and unlawful. The Justice Department will continue to uphold the rights of female tenants to housing without the threat of sexual harassment by a landlord.”
“Attempts to exploit tenants for sexual favors, sexual assault, and retaliation by landlords will never be tolerated in the Middle District of Pennsylvania,” said U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller.
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. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This case 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 53 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered approximately $19 million for victims of such harassment. Anyone in the Middle District of Pennsylvania may also report civil rights violation to the office’s Civil Rights Coordinator by calling 717-614-4911 or email usapam.civil.rights@usdoj.gov.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Butler represents the government in this lawsuit.
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