U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Commitment to Investigating Sexual Harassment in Housing Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

CHICAGO – John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced a commitment to investigating reports of housing-related sexual harassment resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.  The initiative is consistent with recent direction from Attorney General William P. Barr.

As the country adopts measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, many Americans have lost their jobs or had wages curtailed.  These losses have forced some to seek abatements or suspensions of rent.  According to a recent memo from the Attorney General, 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 on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability.

“Sexual harassment in housing is illegal and despicable,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.  “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.”

U.S. Attorney Lausch this month 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 letter renewed the U.S. Attorney’s commitment to deploying all available federal enforcement tools against anyone who engages in housing-related sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, and others with power over housing often impacts society’s most vulnerable populations.  Attorney General Barr’s directive reaffirmed the commitment the Department of Justice made in 2017 when it launched the Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative.  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.

Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of housing-related sexual harassment is encouraged to contact the Department of Justice via phone: (844) 380-6178, 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.