United States v. Abraham Kesary (C. D. Cal.)

On September 29, 2023, the court entered a consent order in United States v. Abraham Kesary, et al. (C.D. Cal.). The complaint, which was filed on May 11, 2023, alleged that the Defendants discriminated on the basis of sex in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA) because Mr. Kesary, a property manager, sexually harassed female tenants since at least 2012. The complaint also named the owner of the property where the harassment occurred, M&F Development, LLC (M&F) as a defendant in the case. The consent order requires that M&F pay $120,000 to compensate individuals harmed by the harassment and a $10,000 civil penalty to the United States. In addition, the consent order prohibits Mr. Kesary from managing rental housing and requires M&F to retain an independent property manager to manage its rental property, obtain fair housing training, and implement non-discrimination policies and complaint procedures to prevent sexual harassment at the property in the future.

Press Release - 5/12/2023