United States v. Wygul (W.D. Tenn.)

On December 15,  2016, the court entered a consent decree in United States v. Wygul (W.D. Tenn.), the complaint, which was filed on November 10, 2014, alleged that the defendant engaged in quid pro quo and hostile environment sexual harassment of the plaintiff-intervenor over a three-month period by, among other things, bombarding her with telephone text messages demanding sexually-provocative photographs and requests that she pose nude for him, offering to reduce or waive her rent if she acquiesced, and evicting her when she refused.  Under the terms of the decree, the defendant will pay $15,000 in damages to the plaintiff-intervenor and exit the real estate rental business by a date certain.  The case was referred to the Division after the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) received a complaint, conducted an investigation, and issued a charge of discrimination.