May 5, 2023

U.S. Attorney’s Office reaches settlement in sexual harassment lawsuit against Chicopee landlord

BY Richard DamasSpectrum News 1

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Chicopee Landlord Salazar Dos Santos will no longer manage property after claims of sexually assaulting multiple female tenants for over a decade.

Chicopee Landlord Salazar Dos Santos will no longer be managing property after claims of sexually assaulting multiple female tenants for over a decade

A settlement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office was reached in a federal sexual harassment lawsuit this week after Dos Santos allegedly coerced several women from 2008 to 2019 to enage in sexual acts with him and threatened those who refused

Dos Santos is asked to pay $425,000 toward the victims fund, a $25,000 civil penalty and will have to have someone else manage his rental properties

Dos Santos owns around eight rental properties around Chicopee; his business will be monitored by the federal government for five years.

A settlement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office was reached in a federal sexual harassment lawsuit this week after Dos Santos allegedly coerced several women from 2008 to 2019 to engage in sexual acts with him and threatened those who refused.

“We had come across a woman who was being evicted and when we asked her about what was going on,” Supervising Attorney Jane Edmonstone said. “She told us a story about how her landlord had sexually harassed and assaulted her, and brought an eviction case when she rebuffed his advances.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office decision.

“He can’t do this anymore,” Edmonstone said. “He needs to hire someone to manage his rental properties. He owns and manages around eight different rental properties in Chicopee. He had to pay $425,000 towards the victims fund and that is money that will be allocated to the various victims of his conduct.”
Dos Santos will also have to pay a $25,000 civil penalty.

“And his conduct as a landlord, including, like, who he hires to run his business, will be monitored by the federal government for five years,” Edmonstone said.

Edmonstone said similar cases involving tenants being sexually harassed by landlords happen more often than some may think.

She said tenants can file lawsuits for wrongful eviction threats, as well as contacting local police for restraining orders for inappropriate behavior.

“Even if it feels like you have no power, or there are no resources. At the very least, reach out to someone to talk about it,” she said. “To figure out the options, to figure out what the choices are so that you can make a decision to how best handle your unique situation.”