Landlord accused of offering sex for rent, assaulting tenants will pay $425K

A Chicopee landlord accused of sexually assaulting his female tenants and allegedly offering to trade rent for sex will pay $425,000 to settle his case, U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins’s office announced Wednesday.

Salazar Dos Santos had been accused of violating the Fair Housing Act by sexually harassing female tenants for at least 11 years, Rollins’s office said in a press release.

The settlement — which includes compensation for the alleged victims and a $25,000 civil penalty — also resolves claims against the Trusts of Salazar Dos Santos and America Dos Santos, which held the properties in question. 

The federal lawsuit alleged that Dos Santos subjected several female tenants to unwanted sexual contact between 2008 and 2019, “which included coercing them to engage in sex acts, physically sexually assaulting them, exposing himself and locking them in his office to sexually assault them,” according to the press release.

Dos Santos allegedly implicitly offered to provide rent relief in exchange for sex acts, threatened tenants who resisted, and evicted some after they refused his advances, federal prosecutors said. 

“Sexual harassment and the conduct alleged here is repugnant and completely unacceptable,” Rollins said in a statement. “Stable and safe housing is fundamental for positive outcomes in life. Insidiously, sexual harassment and violations in the context of housing often target vulnerable tenants who fear eviction and homelessness.”

She also commended “the brave women who came forward in this matter.”

The proposed settlement agreement, which is subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, permanently bars Dos Santos from property management responsibilities at any residential rental property, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

According to the press release, the agreement also bars future discrimination and retaliation; requires that property management responsibilities be turned over to an independent manager; mandates the implementation of a sexual harassment policy, complaint procedure, and Fair Housing Act training; and requires detailed reporting regarding property management activities and compliance with the terms of the agreement.

Abby Patkin

Staff Writer

Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between.

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