Richard and Mary Donahue, Sexual Harassment, Wisconsin 2024

The grim reality of sexual harassment in rental properties has come to light in Janesville, Wisconsin, as the Justice Department files a lawsuit against Richard and Mary Donahue, owners of several rental properties in the area.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, alleges that Richard Donahue, who manages the properties, has been sexually harassing numerous female tenants since at least 2000. According to the complaint, Donahue made repeated and unwelcome sexual comments to female tenants, entered the homes of female tenants without their consent, touched female tenants’ bodies without their consent, requested sexual contact, offered reduced or free rent in exchange for sexual contact and took adverse housing-related actions against female tenants who refused his sexual advances.

The lawsuit also names Mary Donahue, Richard Donahue’s wife, who co-owns some of the properties, as a defendant. The Justice Department is seeking monetary damages to compensate persons harmed by the alleged harassment, civil penalties to vindicate the public interest and a court order barring future discrimination.

‘Everyone deserves to feel safe at home, but sexual harassment in housing destroys that security,’ said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. ‘The Justice Department will vigorously enforce the Fair Housing Act against landlords who engage in this kind of predatory and illegal behavior.’

‘No one should have to choose between having a place to live or enduring sexual harassment,’ said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin. ‘Those few Wisconsin landlords who exploit vulnerable tenants for sex violate federal law and will be held accountable.’

The Justice Department launched its Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative in October 2017. The department’s initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. Since launching the initiative, the Justice Department has filed 24 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $9.5 million for victims of such harassment.

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental dwellings owned or managed by the Donahues can contact the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291, select a language, and select option number 2, then option number 4 to leave a message.

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