WASHINGTON (LN) — The Justice Department announced Tuesday it has secured a $250,000 settlement against the owners of residential rental properties in and around Springfield, Missouri, resolving allegations that former owner and manager Jimmie Bell spent more than a decade sexually harassing and retaliating against female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri in March 2024, alleged that Bell's conduct included making unwelcome sexual comments and advances, exposing and touching his genitals in front of female tenants, touching and grabbing female tenants in a sexual manner without their consent, and requesting sex or sex acts in exchange for tangible housing benefits — including excusing late or unpaid rent or the opportunity to rent another home. Tenants who refused, the suit alleged, faced evictions or withheld repairs.
Bell died in February 2025, and his son, Mark Bell, was substituted as his successor defendant. The lawsuit also named Fourth Bell LLC and the trustee of Second Bell Trust as defendants, as owners of properties Bell managed.
Under the settlement, the $250,000 goes to former tenants harmed by Bell's conduct. Defendants must also make good-faith efforts to have retaliatory evictions removed from public court records and credit reports, cease any ongoing efforts to collect payments from tenants who faced those evictions, and complete training to prevent future discrimination, including sexual harassment, at their rental properties.
"A home should be a place of safety, not fear and exploitation," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. "The Justice Department is committed to vigorously holding landlords accountable when they use their power to violate the rights of vulnerable tenants."
U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price for the Western District of Missouri said no tenant should ever be forced to choose between their safety and keeping a roof over their head. "Exploiting power for sexual coercion and retaliation is not only immoral, but it's also illegal," he said.
The case originated with a complaint to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which investigated, issued a charge of discrimination, and referred the matter to the Civil Rights Division. HUD's Office of Inspector General also participated in the investigation and assisted in the litigation.
The settlement is part of the Justice Department's Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative, launched in October 2017. Since its launch, the department has filed 52 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered approximately $19 million for victims.