MILWAUKEE — The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin recently filed a lawsuit alleging disability and sex-based discrimination by the owner and operators of a Milwaukee rental property.
The Justice Department announced a new lawsuit Friday, alleging the owner and managers of Leaf Property Investments LLC harassed a tenant because of his sex, including his sexual orientation and his disability, violating the Fair Housing Act.
The lawsuit alleges Dennis Parker, the on-site manager, subjected a gay male tenant with a disability to harassment, both verbally and through text messages, in 2020 and 2021.
According to a criminal complaint, Parker hit the tenant in the groin and threatened to evict him after the tenant reported the harassment to the police.
The lawsuit also names Sam Leaf, who manages the property, as a defendant. The lawsuit says Parker managed the property on behalf of Leaf and Leaf Property Investments LLC.
The tenant later moved out and filed a complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). According to the Justice Department, HUD determined the defendants discriminated against the tenant in violation of the Fair Housing Act and issued a charge of discrimination. The tenant then chose to have the matter decided in federal court, and HUD referred it to the Justice Department.
