New London Landlord Reaches Settlement In Sexual Harassment Case

NEW LONDON, CT — A former New London landlord accused of sexually harassing female tenants and applicants has agreed to a settlement to resolve a sexual harassment lawsuit, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Richard Bruno, a former Waterford resident, is currently serving a 16-year sentence in federal prison following his guilty plea to charges related to producing child pornography with a tenant’s minor child in one of the properties he managed.

Bruno, who has been incarcerated since 2017, was accused of violating the Fair Housing Act by sexually harassing female tenants and applicants, according to officials. The settlement also resolves claims against Domco LLC and Domco II LLC, which, along with Bruno, owned the properties where the alleged harassment occurred, according to a news release.

Under the consent decree, subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, defendants are required to pay $350,000 to compensate individuals harmed by the harassment and pay a $50,000 civil penalty to the United States, officials announced in the news release.

“No person should ever have to endure sexual harassment in order to get or keep housing,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “When landlords and housing providers sexually harass those seeking a roof over their head, they undermine human dignity, and violate the sense of safety and privacy in one’s home that we all deserve. As the Justice Department commemorates National Fair Housing Month, we stand more committed than ever to holding housing providers accountable for their unlawful behavior and seeking relief for survivors.”

U.S. Attorney for Connecticut Vanessa Roberts Avery said Bruno “abused his power as a landlord to sexually harass and victimize his vulnerable tenants for years.”

“This settlement serves as an important reminder to the Connecticut community that sexual harassment by landlords is a violation of federal law, and this office will not hesitate to seek justice for any victims of such intolerable conduct,” she said.

Under the consent decree, Bruno is permanently prohibited from owning and managing residential rental properties in the future, according to the news release.

The property owners “must hire an independent property manager to manage their properties, obtain fair housing training and implement non-discrimination policies and complaint procedures to prevent sexual harassment at their properties in the future,” officials wrote in the release.

Individuals may report sexual harassment or other forms of housing discrimination by submitting a report online or by contacting the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut at: (203) 821-3700.

Individuals may also report such discrimination by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.