UWS NYCHA Tenant Sexually Harassed By Maintenance Worker: Lawsuit

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — An Upper West Side public housing resident is suing the New York City Housing Authority after being sexually harassed in her own home by a maintenance worker employed by the city housing agency, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court.

Jennifer Calcano claims that NYCHA handyman Gene Mitchell sent her lewd messages on Instagram and asked her to take her pants off while he was in her Wise Towers apartment to fix a leak, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit also named Mitchell as an individual defendant.

Mitchell started following Calcano on Instagram in November 2018 after inspecting her apartment for flood damage and immediately began sending her inappropriate messages, the lawsuit claims. The handyman did not reveal his identity and said he was a photographer interested in meeting up for a photo shoot. In one message, Mitchell asked "what do you get turned on by?" and in other he requested Calcano send him "something sexy."

The handyman returned to Calcano's apartment in January after a new leak appeared in her apartment and said "nice tattoo, can you pull your pants down so I can see it better?" Calcano refused an asked Mitchell to leave her home, but he kept talking about the leak, according to the lawsuit. Later on, the handyman asked Calcano why he wasn't responding to his Instagram messages, revealing himself to be her online harasser.

Calcano complained about Mitchell to tenant leaders in January, but kept seeing the handyman in her apartment complex for months. In May, a NYCHA official told Calcano that she could move out of her apartment, but she refused. Mitchell was fired in July, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit accuses NYCHA and Mitchell of violating the fair housing act for housing discrimination, fostering a hostile housing environment and unlawful retaliation.

A NYCHA spokesperson said the agency has not been served with the lawsuit.