A Green Bay-area landlord is facing a federal lawsuit after he allegedly sexually harassed a young mother who rented one of his units in 2021 and 2022, and retaliated against her when she tried to stand up for herself.
The U.S. Department of Justice filed suit in federal court last week against Wrightstown resident David Jones and his company, D Jones Properties. Jones manages multiple rental properties in the Green Bay-area, the DOJ said.
According to the civil suit, Jones made unwelcome sexual comments toward a then-24-year-old female tenant, grabbed her without consent and entered her home without permission. Jones also allegedly retaliated against the woman after she filed a Fair Housing Act complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
News with a little more humanity
WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter.
“No one should be forced to choose between safe housing and their right to live free from sexual harassment,” Richard Frohling, acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, said in a statement.
Philip Danen, an attorney representing Jones and his company, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A legal response to the lawsuit had not been filed in federal court as of Tuesday afternoon.
In 2021, the then-24-year-old woman and her then-2-year-old son were in “desperate need of housing” after experiencing a period of homelessness, the lawsuit says. They moved from Milwaukee to Green Bay and temporarily stayed with the woman’s grandmother, who was living in property rented from Jones, according to the suit.
The woman met Jones after he informed her that he had an apartment opening, according to court documents. During the meeting, Jones allegedly asked where her boyfriend was, and made comments like, “I know how you young girls be.”
While the comments made the woman uncomfortable, she chose to ignore them at the time because she needed a place to live, the suit says. She signed a month-to-month rental agreement for one of Jones’ units in Green Bay, moving in with her son in September 2021.
The lawsuit says Jones came over to the woman’s home “multiple times per week and behaved in ways that made her uncomfortable, anxious and fearful.” Jones allegedly came over without notice and “used his own set of keys” to enter without knocking.
The woman eventually purchased a voice recorder to record conversations with Jones because he often said things that made her uncomfortable, according to the suit.
Around two weeks after she moved in, Jones allegedly came to the property and grabbed the woman “by the hips and pulled her to him.” She recorded their conversation when she confronted him about it. Jones allegedly said he wouldn’t “mess with” her because she didn’t like it, but also allegedly told her “I’m a man, though” and said something about “temptation.”
In a separate instance, the woman was taking a nap and awoke to Jones standing over her, the lawsuit says. In a recorded conversation about the incident, Jones allegedly said, “You not used to looking up and seeing no man there now.”
During other conversations, Jones asked the woman if she liked older men, bragged about owning a Corvette and nice house, and speculated that her job was a “dancer,” according to the lawsuit.
When the woman had issues with the gas in the unit in late 2021, she asked Jones to give her notice before entering her unit, the suit says. Jones allegedly responded, “I’m not a German Shepherd. I’m not going to bite you.”
To protect herself, the woman eventually installed a two-by-four to block the door, the suit says. Jones allegedly removed it weeks later. When she texted him in March 2022 explaining it was due to his inappropriate behavior, he issued a lease termination notice the same day, the complaint states.
The suit says the lease termination was filed in retaliation for the text message.
Jones filed an eviction suit against the woman in April 2022, and she filed a fair housing complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development amid the eviction proceedings, the complaint states.
Jones was notified of the complaint on Aug. 1, 2022 and an eviction hearing was held three days later, the civil complaint says. The court allowed Jones to evict the woman by the end of that month, according to the suit, “in retaliation” for her asserting her right to be free from sex discrimination in housing.
Jones’ actions violated the Fair Housing Act, the lawsuit argues. That law prohibits housing discrimination based on gender, race, religion, national origin or familial status.
HUD conducted an investigation into the matter and determined there was “reasonable cause” to believe Jones and his rental company violated the Fair Housing Act, the suit states.
The agency issued a discrimination charge against Jones in June, and the woman elected to resolve the charge through civil action, according to court documents.
The lawsuit is seeking financial damages to compensate the woman who faced “economic damages, a loss of a housing opportunity, and significant fear, anxiety, and emotional distress” as a result of the alleged harassment. The suit also asks for a court order barring future discrimination.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2025, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
