The Attorney General of Maryland filed a civil lawsuit on Friday against a landlord on the Eastern Shore and his company, alleging a consistent pattern of gender-based housing discrimination and sexual harassment, which involved demanding sexual favors in exchange for rent.
The lawsuit, lodged in Wicomico County Circuit Court, is the debut case from the Civil Rights Division of the Attorney General’s office, established in January.
“Landlords have exploited people in times of financial and housing crisis by misusing their authority to make sexual demands of tenants, mainly targeting low-income women and single mothers,” Attorney General Anthony Brown stated. “That ends today in Maryland.”
Chief of the Civil Rights Division, Jonathan Smith, revealed that claims dated back to 2018 in poorly maintained units that predominantly targeted low-income and working individuals.
Smith, alongside Brown and other officials during a press conference, stated that five women came forward to support the investigation by the Attorney General.
The lawsuit targets Eric Sessoms and Mt. Vernon Group, LLC, for engaging in gender-based housing discrimination, according to the Attorney General’s office.
“Our inquiry revealed that Sessoms pursued women facing homelessness or at risk of being homeless,” Smith disclosed.
Legal representation for Sessoms did not respond promptly to a request for comment.
The complaint alleges that Sessoms specifically preyed on vulnerable women experiencing or at risk of homelessness, offering housing benefits such as reduced rent in exchange for sexual acts.
“I want to reiterate Attorney General Brown’s dedication to women sexually harassed by their landlords. We have heard you, and we are taking steps,” stated Candace McLaren Lanham, deputy attorney general. “The women who courageously shared their distressing accounts with us are the reason we can now seek justice against Eric Sessoms and Mt. Vernon Group, LLC.”
The complaint also asserts that Sessoms subjected women tenants and potential tenants to unwanted sexual advancements, unwelcome physical contact, unsolicited sexual remarks, and other offensive actions in a discriminatory manner based on gender.
Maryland Legal Aid, a leading provider of free civil legal services in the state, collaborated with the Attorney General’s office on this case.
“Maryland is already grappling with a severe housing crisis affecting numerous families, particularly women with children, who have limited options. Landlords like Sessoms who take advantage of women in dire straits and engage in insidious, gender-based discrimination must not be tolerated,” expressed Vicki Schultz, the executive director of the organization.
Victims and others can reach out to investigators by calling 1-833-282-2977 or emailing md********@**********md.us, according to the Attorney General’s office.
