17-02-2025
Albuquerque property manager settles sexual harassment lawsuit with DOJ
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) –An Albuquerque apartment manager is on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars after settling a sexual harassment lawsuit. In March of 2024, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Ariel Solis Velata, a former leasing agent and property manager for St. Anthony Plaza Apartments.
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The suit alleges, Velata violated the Fair Housing Act by making unwanted advances on female tenants, offering breaks on late or unpaid rent in exchange for sex, while threatening to raise rent if they didn't comply.
The DOJ said those sexual harassment allegations date back to 2010. The complex's owners are also named in the suit. The defendants have now been ordered to pay $350,000 to the tenants affected by Veleta, along with a $10,000 civil penalty to the United States. Under that settlement, Veleta is barred from managing any residential rental properties.
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