PEORIA, Ill. – A landlord in Washington is being accused of sexually abusing female renters and people who are looking for housing.
In a civil rights case filed in Federal Court in Peoria, the U.S. Justice Department laid out the charges against Michael DeWitt.
The lawsuit says that DeWitte has been sexually harassing female tenants and applicants since at least 2002. He is accused of making sexual advances toward them, offering to strip for female tenants, taking off his pants while giving a tour to a female housing applicant, exposing himself to female tenants, asking female tenants to go on dates, requesting sex in exchange for lower rent or other housing benefits, and evicting female tenants who refused to give in to his advances.
An assistant attorney general from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a news statement, “Landlords cannot use their power to sexually harass someone who just wants a place to live.”
U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris for the Central District of Illinois said, “No one should ever be asked to trade their body for a home.” “I urge other tenants who say DeWitte is discriminating against them to call my office.” My office and the Justice Department are ready to hold owners responsible when they abuse their power and try to take advantage of the weak, which is against the law.
The lawsuit wants money to compensate the people who were hurt by the alleged harassment, as well as civil fines and an order from the court that discrimination can’t happen again.
