The US federal government has filed a lawsuit against an Indian-origin landlord in Pennsylvania, accusing him of sexually harassing a female tenant and retaliating against her after she rejected his alleged advances.
The civil lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in the US District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, alleges that Venkatachalam Mani, a landlord in the State College area, subjected a woman tenant to sexual harassment. According to the complaint, when the tenant refused his alleged advances, Mani repeatedly ignored her requests for repairs at the rental property.
Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice, said such conduct was unlawful.
“The Justice Department will protect the right of women tenants to live in housing free from the threat of sexual harassment by their landlords,” Dhillon said.
The lawsuit seeks monetary compensation for the woman and her children, along with a court order aimed at preventing similar discriminatory conduct in the future.
Brian D. Miller, US Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, said landlords who exploit tenants by coercing them into sexual relationships, sexually harassing them, or retaliating against them would not be tolerated in the district.
Following its investigation, the Justice Department concluded that Mani had discriminated against the tenant in violation of the Fair Housing Act, according to the lawsuit.
