The Justice Department is securing a settlement to resolve allegations that a Chicopee landlord violated the Fair Housing Act by sexually harassing female tenants.
The allegations spanned over a decade against Salazar Dos Santos.
The lawsuit from the United States asserted that Dos Santos implicitly offered to provide relief from rental payment obligations in exchange for engaging in sex acts with him, and threatened tenants who resisted or objected.
“Sexual harassment and the conduct alleged here is repugnant and completely unacceptable. Stable and safe housing is fundamental for positive outcomes in life. Insidiously, sexual harassment and violations in the context of housing often target vulnerable tenants who fear eviction and homelessness. Although not present in this case, there are also times that immigration status is the manipulation utilized to target and victimize vulnerable tenants,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins.
Under the proposed consent decree, the defendants are ordered to pay a total of 425-thousand dollars for compensation, and property management must be turned over to an independent manager.
(Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
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