A Wayne County landlord will pay $185,000 in damages to resolve a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment against female tenants.
The Justice Department announced Mohamad Hussein, who has owned and managed more than 15 rental properties in and around Dearborn Heights since 2013, agreed to pay the damages to victims and a civil penalty to the government to resolve the Fair Housing Act (FHA) lawsuit concerning Hussein’s sexual harassment of actual and prospective female tenants.
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The lawsuit, filed in March 2023, alleged that Hussein subjected actual and prospective female tenants to sexual harassment by making unwelcome comments and advances and offered actual and prospective female tenants housing-related benefits in exchange for engaging in sex acts with him.
Hussein will pay $185,000 in damages to eight former and prospective female tenants harmed by the harassment.
Hussein will be required to take steps to vacate any retaliatory eviction judgments obtained against these tenants. He will be permanently enjoined from personally managing rental properties in the future and will be required to retain an independent property manager to manage any rental properties he owns. Finally, the consent decree will require Hussein to implement non-discrimination policies and complaint procedures to prevent sexual harassment at his properties in the future and to take fair housing training.
Individuals may report sexual harassment or other forms of housing discrimination by calling the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291, or submitting a report online. Individuals may also report such discrimination by contacting the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.