Relman Colfax has filed a federal lawsuit against the D.C. Housing Authority (“DCHA”) and its property manager, Quantay Oliver, who DCHA permitted to sexually harass women who lived at DCHA properties for years, including repeatedly badgering them to perform sexual favors and offering them money in exchange for sex. The complaint alleges that DCHA and Mr. Oliver created a hostile housing environment and permitted quid pro quo sexual harassment in violation of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The firm represents Belinda Myers and Wanda Thomas, two longtime tenants of James Creek, a property owned and managed by DCHA. Ms. Myers and Ms. Thomas allege that Oliver harassed them over a period of several years and attempted to exploit his power by offering assistance with eviction proceedings or desperately needed repairs if they would have sex with him. Their repeated rejections of his advances had no effect, and Oliver continued to harass them with vulgar comments and propositions, and on at least one occasion even attempting to touch genitalia or other sensitive areas.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges that DCHA was repeatedly informed of Mr. Oliver’s harassment, but DCHA failed to intervene to stop the harassment.
The Relman Colfax case team is led by Yiyang Wu, Megan Cacace, and Tahir Duckett, with paralegal assistance from Abigail Moats.