The U.S. Department of Justice announced a $250,000 settlement resolving allegations that the former owner and manager of residential rental properties in and around Springfield, Missouri, sexually harassed female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
The agreement settles a lawsuit filed in March 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. Federal officials alleged that Jimmie Bell engaged in a pattern of sexual harassment and retaliation spanning more than a decade while owning and managing rental properties in the Springfield area.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division stated that housing should provide safety and security rather than fear or exploitation, emphasizing the department’s commitment to holding landlords accountable when they misuse authority to violate tenant rights…