CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — The Park at Ridgedale Independent Living, a Chesterfield senior community, and its management company have agreed to pay $37,500 to a woman who was sexual harassed by a neighbor, according to Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, Inc. (HOME).
The settlement was reached after HOME investigated the woman’s claims that TRG Management Company did not do enough to protect her, and other women, from sexual harassment and filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The woman, whose name was not released, asked HOME to investigate her situation in September 2015.
“She alleged the neighbor made numerous advances against her, making sexually suggestive comments, cat calling her, and making physical approaches towards her in the common areas. She reported these incidents to both TRG Management staff and the Chesterfield County Police Department,” a HOME spokesperson said. “HOME alleges that TRG Management never took corrective action with the offending tenant, and even refused to renew her lease due to her complaints.”
CBS 6 has reached out to The Park at Ridgedale Independent Living for a comment about the situation. This story will be updated once those calls are returned.
In addition to the financial settlement, TRG Management Company “agreed to adopt a sexual harassment policy and develop procedures for responding to tenant complaints of sexual harassment,” a HOME spokesperson said.
As a result of the settlement, TRG Management also agreed to “provide fair housing training to all employees who have direct contact with tenants, and to hold a community meeting at Park at Ridgedale to discuss fair housing and sexual harassment policies with residents.”
“Your home should be your safe place,” Heather Crislip, president and CEO of HOME, said. “It is impossible to feel secure in your housing when facing sexual harassment, or any kind of harassment or discrimination, in the place you live.”
HOME asked anyone who believes they were being sexually harassed by a neighbor, maintenance worker, or landlord.
