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Press Release

U.S. Attorney’s Office Hosts Roundtables On Sexual Harassment And Racial Discrimination In Housing

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Alaska

Anchorage, Alaska -- U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that on Wednesday, Sept. 18 and Thursday, Sept. 19, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division hosted roundtable discussions on combating sexual harassment and racial discrimination in housing in Fairbanks and Anchorage. 

The events included state, tribal, and federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and crisis and legal service providers that often work with Alaska’s most vulnerable populations, who could also become victims of sexual harassment or racial discrimination in housing.

“These roundtables compliment the mission of the Attorney General’s Rural Alaska Anti-Violence Enforcement Network (RAAVEN).  Many women facing violence and abuse in rural Alaska come to Anchorage or Fairbanks looking for a fresh start and new opportunities.  These roundtables will help ensure that women and other vulnerable populations from all over Alaska are treated respectfully and fairly as they seek housing,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder.

The Department of Justice, through the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Civil Rights Division, enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability.

Because victims may not be aware that the conduct they have experienced violates the Fair Housing Act or may not know where to turn, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Department of Justice hope to collaborate with community organizations to raise awareness and help victims report abuse.

The Justice Department brings cases each year involving egregious conduct, including allegations that defendants have requested sexual favors in exchange for reduced rents or making necessary repairs, made unrelenting and unwanted sexual advances to tenants, and evicted tenants who resisted their sexual overtures. In 2017, the Justice Department recovered more than $1 million in damages for victims. The Justice Department’s investigations frequently uncover sexual harassment or racial discrimination that has been ongoing for years or decades and identify numerous victims who never reported the conduct to federal authorities. Many instances of sexual harassment or racial discrimination in housing continue to go unreported.

The roundtables were coordinated by Lauren Marks of the Housing and Civil Enforcement Section of the Civil Rights Division of Department of Justice.

The Department encourages anyone who has experienced sexual harassment or discrimination in housing, or knows someone who has, to contact the Civil Rights Division by calling (844) 380-6178 or emailing: fairhousing@usdoj.gov.

usao/ak/19-066

Prepared by: Katie Schurig, 907-271-5022, Katie.Schurig@usdoj.gov

Updated September 25, 2019

Press Release Number: 19-066