DuBois landlord accused by DOJ

Civil complaint alleges Britton made unwanted sexual advances toward female tenants

The Department of Justice has filed a civil complaint under the Fair Housing Act that accuses a DuBois area landlord of discrimination by making unwanted sexual comments and advances toward multiple female tenants.

According to the complaint, Timothy Britton, who owns Britton Enterprises LLC, also known as Tim's Apartments, manages 40 rental

properties in Falls Creek, DuBois, Brockway and Reynoldsville.

The federal government, which filed its Fair Housing Complaint in the U.S. District Court in Johnstown, focused on three of those properties located on First and Main streets in Falls Creek.

Britton, the complaint stated, for the past seven years has subjected his female tenants "to unwelcome and severe or pervasive sexual harassment."

His actions include reducing the rent or excusing unpaid rent in return for sexual acts.

He is accused of subjecting the female tenants to "unwelcome and sexual touching."

The complaint also states that he retaliated against clients who refused his sexual advances.

Attempts to contact Britton for comment have been unsuccessful, but a spokesperson in his office indicated he would have nothing to say about the charges based on legal advice.

The case has been assigned to the U.S. District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.

Haines immediately referred the DOJ complaint for inclusion in the Court's Alternative Dispute Program, which provides parties to lawsuits with a forum to settle their cases.

According to the complaint, the case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Gal-Or in Pittsburgh.

The complaint was signed by Attorney General Merrick Garland and Acting U.S. Attorney for Pennsylvania's Western District, Troy RIvetti.

The government cited specific examples of Britton's actions, which it claims violated the federal Fair Housing Act.

From June 2017 to April 2018 it is alleged he offered to reduce a tenant's rent is she would have sex with him.

He sexually harassed the tenant when she was pregnant, and then, upon her delivery, he allegedly stated, "I see you had the baby, maybe now you'll fool around" or words to that effect, the complaint stated.

He is alleged to have told another female tenant she would not have to pay rent if she slept with him.

When another tenant rejected his advances and filed a complaint about his actions with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, he initiated eviction proceedings against her.

"The experiences of the women (cited in the complaint) were not the only instances of defendant Tiomthy Britton's sexual harassment of tenants. Rather, they were part of (his) longstanding pattern or practice of illegal sexual harassment of multiple tenants from at least 2016 to the present," according to the DOJ.

It noted that Britton's alleged misconduct caused the tenants "fear, anxiety, emotional distress, and interfered with their ability to secure and maintain rental housing for themselves and their families.

The lawsuit is seeking financial damages for each of the alleged tenant-victims, but is also seeking an order that would bar Britton from further discriminatory conduct against tenants.

The DOJ's website indicated that annually more than 30,000 complaints are filed citing discrimination in housing, most involving instances involving clients with disabilities, Only about three percent small involve complaints of sexual discrimination issues.