Landlord Sexually Harassed Same-Sex Tenant

Tenant complained to the State Division of Human Rights (DHR) that landlord sexually harassed him. Because of this, tenant moved out of his apartment before his lease expired. The DHR ruled for tenant and awarded him $10,000. Landlord appealed and lost. Landlord didn't appear for a hearing held by DHR. Tenant testified that he was gay, and that landlord, also a man, made sexual advances toward him, spied on him through his apartment window, told tenant's friends that he wanted to have sex with tenant, followed tenant from the building on various occasions, and otherwise ''monitored'' tenant's activities. Tenant moved out two months before his lease expired. The DHR reasonably found that landlord created a hostile housing environment and discriminated against tenant through same-sex sexual harassment. The sum awarded as damages to tenant was appropriate. It compensated tenant for mental anguish, was reasonably related to landlord's wrongdoing, and was comparable to prior awards for similar offenses.

State Div. of Human Rights v. Stoute: NYLJ, 12/8/06, p. 22, col. 1 (App. Div. 2 Dept.; Florio, JP, Miller, Adams, Skelos, JJ)