Indian-Origin Landlord in US Sued Over Alleged Sexual Harassment, Retaliation Against Tenant

An Indian-origin landlord in Pennsylvania has been sued by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) for allegedly sexually harassing a female tenant and then refusing to carry out repairs after she rejected his advances. The federal civil lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania on August 5.

According to the complaint, Venkatachalam Mani, who owns a rental property in State College, allegedly made unwanted sexual advances and sexually touched the tenant in 2022. The woman later filed a complaint with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which investigated the case and found enough evidence to issue a discrimination charge under the Fair Housing Act before referring it to the DOJ.

The lawsuit says that after the tenant refused Mani's advances, he ignored repeated requests to repair the home's furnace. The heating system remained broken during freezing winter weather, later caught fire, and left the house unsafe. The woman and her four children were forced to leave the home and stay in a hotel after local officials declared the property unfit to live in.

The DOJ is seeking compensation for the tenant and her children, along with a court order to prevent any future housing discrimination.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said the department would continue to protect tenants from sexual harassment by landlords. US Attorney Brian D. Miller said such abuse and retaliation would never be accepted.

The Justice Department also said the case is part of its Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative, launched in 2017. Since then, it has filed 53 lawsuits and recovered nearly USD 19 million for victims of housing-related sexual harassment.