Sues Missouri Housing Authority, Sexual Harassment, Public Housing Applicant — Justice Department Sues Missouri Housing Authority for Sexual Harassment of Public Housing Applicant by Former Executive Director | United States Justice Department.
This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. After the applicant chose to have the matter decided in federal court, HUD referred the matter to the Justice Department.The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate the applicant harmed by the purported harassment and a court order barring future discrimination.If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online. The lawsuit also claims that
the Housing Authority is vicariously liable for Hankins’ unlawful conduct.The applicant filed a complaint against the Housing Authority and Hankins with the U.S. After her application was denied, the complaint claims that she went to meet with Executive Director Hankins, who made unwanted sexual advances toward her. We will hold them accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. The suit also claims that Hankins made sexual comments about the applicant’s appearance, conditioned housing for her family upon submission to his conduct, and that he refused to assist her with obtaining housing once
she resisted his sexual advances. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Hankins was the executive director of the Missouri Housing Authority from 2019 through 2022.“There is no place in America for public officials who abuse their trust to coerce sexual acts from the people they are duty-bound to help, be it in public housing or other areas. After an investigation, HUD determined that the Housing Authority and Hankins discriminated against the applicant in violation of the Fair Housing Act and issued a charge of discrimination. Department of