The U.S. Justice Department says a jury has ordered a Tennessee landlord to pay $70,500 to six women who were sexually harassed while renting homes from him.
After a four-day trial, a federal jury decided that Chad David Ables violated the Fair Housing Act by subjecting female tenants to vulgar sexual comments, unwelcome physical touches, propositions for sex and offers to reduce rent in exchange for sex, the U.S. attorney’s office in Memphis said in a news release Tuesday.
Ables rented properties to the women in or near Pop’s Cove, a trailer park located in Lexington, the Justice Department said.
The case began when a sexual harassment complaint about Ables was filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD investigated and referred it to the Justice Department, which said it filed the lawsuit against Ables.
The jury award includes compensatory and punitive damages. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on sex, race, color, national origin, religion, disability and familial status.