NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Harrisburg, PA, August 7, 2026— The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Venkatachalam Mani, a landlord in State College, Pennsylvania, accusing him of sexually harassing a female tenant, sexually assaulting her and retaliating against her after she rejected his advances.
The lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, alleges that Mani violated the federal Fair Housing Act through sexual harassment and retaliatory conduct directed at the tenant.
According to the Justice Department, Mani made sexual advances toward the woman while she was renting a property from him. After she rejected those advances, the lawsuit alleges, he sexually assaulted her and subsequently engaged in months of retaliation.
The alleged retaliation included showing up uninvited at the leased property and failing to carry out required maintenance, federal officials said.
Among the most serious allegations is that Mani refused to repair the home’s furnace after the tenant rejected his advances, leaving her and her children without adequate heat during freezing temperatures. The family eventually moved out after the furnace caught fire, according to the lawsuit.
“This lawsuit involves a landlord who failed to fix a tenant’s furnace despite freezing temperatures because she refused his sexual advances, forcing her family to move out even though they did not have another place to live,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said.
“This conduct is immoral and unlawful,” Dhillon added. “The Justice Department will continue to uphold the rights of female tenants to housing without the threat of sexual harassment by a landlord.”
The case reached federal court after the tenant filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Following an investigation, HUD determined that Mani had discriminated against the tenant in violation of the Fair Housing Act and issued a charge of discrimination, according to the Justice Department.
After the tenant elected to have the case heard in federal court rather than through HUD’s administrative process, the matter was referred to the Justice Department.
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages for the tenant and her children, as well as a court order prohibiting Mani from engaging in future housing discrimination.
“Attempts to exploit tenants for sexual favors, sexual assault, and retaliation by landlords will never be tolerated in the Middle District of Pennsylvania,” U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller said.
The allegations against Mani have not been proven in court, and the filing represents the government’s civil claims against him.
