CRD Settles Sexual Harassment And Retaliation Housing Complaint in El Dorado County

Sacramento – The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) has settled a housing complaint brought by a Placerville tenant against her landlords to resolve allegations that the tenant experienced sexual harassment and retaliation, including a retaliatory eviction.

CRD’s initial investigation found that the male landlord sexually harassed the tenant through spoken and text messages, as well as forced physical contact. The landlord texted the tenant that he asked his wife, a co-landlord, if the tenant could be his concubine. After the tenant expressed her lack of interest, both landlords subjected the tenant to retaliatory text messages calling her a “whore” and other inappropriate names and threatened to evict her. The landlords ultimately filed an unlawful detainer (eviction) action. CRD filed papers with El Dorado County Superior Court seeking to intervene in the unlawful detainer action.

“CRD has statutory power to halt an eviction or seek other injunctive relief until the State’s investigation can be completed,” said CRD Director Kevin Kish. “We will not hesitate to take immediate legal action to prevent retaliation and protect the integrity of our investigations, when the facts warrant it.”

The parties resolved the matter after CRD sought to intervene. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, the landlords agreed to complete sexual harassment prevention training; waive $25,000 in back rent and future rent payments for the tenant; and, for the next five years, refrain from directly or indirectly performing any landlord or property management responsibilities with respect to any residential dwelling.

Senior FEH Counsel Azadeh Hosseinian and FEH Counsel Irene Meyers represented CRD.