U.S. Attorney Investigating Housing-Related Sexual Harassment

CHICAGO, IL — John Lausch, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announced Wednesday a commitment to investigating reports of housing-related sexual harassment resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. As the country adopts measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus, many Americans have lost their jobs or are met with a decrease in pay, forcing some to face rent suspensions or seek abatement, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois.

According to a recent memo from Attorney General William Barr, there have been reports of landlords demanding sexual favors and other acts of "unwelcome sexual conduct" to defer rent payments. Such behavior is illegal under the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability, the news release said.

“Sexual harassment in housing is illegal and despicable,” U.S. Attorney Lausch said, said in the news release. "No one should have to tolerate this behavior under normal circumstances, and particularly not during a public health crisis. My office will aggressively investigate these cases and bring action when warranted.”

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This month, U.S. Attorney Lausch sent a letter to fair housing advocacy groups, domestic violence organizations, and state and local law enforcement agencies, asking them to contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office if they receive complaints of sexual harassment in housing, the news release said. The letter renewed the U.S. Attorney’s commitment to deploying "all available federal enforcement tools against anyone who engages in housing-related sexual harassment," the news release said.

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In addition, the initiative works to identify barriers to reporting sexual harassment in housing, increase awareness of enforcement efforts, improve collaboration between federal, state, and local partners to increase reporting, and help survivors quickly and easily connect with valuable resources. It's also consistent with recent direction from Attorney General Barr, which reaffirmed the commitment the Department of Justice made in 2017 when it launched the Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative.

Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of housing-related sexual harassment is encouraged to contact the Department of Justice via phone at 844-380-6178, via email, fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or mail: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Attention: Patrick Johnson, Civil Rights Coordinator, 219 S. Dearborn St., Suite 500, Chicago, Ill. 60604.