Westland landlord accused of 'severe or pervasive' sexual harassment against female tenants in federal lawsuit

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A photo of William Asper he used during his 2021 Westland mayoral campaign

WESTLAND, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Westland landlord accused of sexually harassing female tenants is now facing a lawsuit from the Department of Justice.

According to the DOJ, William Asper allegedly offered tenants benefits such as reduced rent for sexual acts and retaliated against those who declined to oblige. This alleged conduct dates back as far as 2018.

The backstory:

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, describes the harassment as "unwelcome and severe or pervasive." It lays out several examples of the alleged harassment those who rented from Asper have faced.

Asper is accused of making unwelcome sexual comments and advances toward female tenants, exposing his genitals to them, and even allegedly touching them.

He is also accused of retaliating against tenants by beginning the eviction process, refusing repairs, and threatening these actions if tenants declined his advances, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit references one tenant who was allegedly harassed repeatedly, sometimes in front of her young son. She told authorities that she was scared to complain because she did not want to lose her housing. When she finally spoke up to Asper, he allegedly stopped repairing her home, and she eventually moved.

Another tenant reported to police that Asper allegedly grabbed her and pulled her against him. She said he threatened to evict her for reporting him.

The lawsuit notes that the examples given are not the only times Asper has been accused of such conduct. According to the suit, these actions "were part of Defendant Asper’s pattern or practice of sexual harassment of multiple female tenants."

What they're saying:

In a DOJ press release, U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. said men who prey on women looking for homes deserve "the greatest condemnation."

"Women should not live in fear when they pay their rent or seek repairs," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. "The Justice Department will continue to vigorously enforce the Fair Housing Act’s prohibition on this conduct."

Dig deeper:

This is not the first time Asper has been in the news.

In 2021, he ran for mayor of Westland but was eventually removed from the ballot after residency concerns.

At the time, he was also accused of making offensive social media comments directed at women, a claim he denied. He said the comments were old, and blamed them on other people who may have accessed his phone while at bars when he was younger.