Eastern Shore landlord sued for alleged sexual harassment, gender-based discrimination in housing

WICOMICO CO., Md. – The Attorney General and the State of Maryland has announced that the Civil Rights Division filed its first lawsuit in the Circuit Court for Wicomico County against Eric Sessoms and Mt. Vernon Group, LLC, for engaging in a pattern or practice of gender-based discrimination in housing.

The investigation reportedly found that there is reasonable cause to believe that, in his management role, Sessom allegedly subjected female tenants and prospective tenants to unwelcome and severe or pervasive sexual harassment, in violation of the Fair Housing Act and Maryland’s anti-discrimination laws.

“For too long predatory landlords have taken advantage of people in financial and housing crisis by abusing their power as housing providers to make sexual demands of tenants or prospective tenants – often low-income women and single mothers,” said Attorney General Anthony Brown. “In Maryland, that ends today. This historic filing puts landlords on notice: you cannot sexually harass your tenants. And if you do, the Office of the Attorney General will take action.”

The company alleges that Sessom specifically preyed on vulnerable women either experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. He targeted women facing financial difficulties to exploit those vulnerabilities, offering housing benefits such as reduced rent in exchange for sexual favors. He also reportedly subjected female tenants and prospective tenants to unwanted sexual advances, unwelcome sexual contact, unsolicited sexual comments, and other egregious conduct in a discriminatory fashion on the basis of his tenants’ and prospective tenants’ gender.