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Athens County landlords settle for nearly half a million dollars in a case alleging sexual harassment of tenants by the property manager

By: David Forster
Posted on: Friday, December 19, 2025

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — Grandchildren of a former Athens County landlord will pay nearly half a million dollars to settle a lawsuit alleging that he sexually harassed female tenants and prospective tenants for almost 20 years.

The federal government sued Joe Lucas two years ago, and the allegations against him included requesting sex acts from female tenants, often to compensate for unpaid rent, and threatening tenants who were behind on their rent with eviction if they did not grant his requests.

The government later added two of Lucas’ grandchildren, Jacob Bush and Joie Carr, as defendants in the case, along with their spouses. They held ownership interests in properties managed by Lucas.

Under the settlement agreement announced Thursday, the Bushes and Carrs will pay $470,000 to women harmed by Lucas’ harassment and a $10,000 civil penalty to the government.

The agreement also prohibits them from retaining or otherwise permitting Lucas to manage their rental properties and requires them to adopt policies and procedures to prevent future sexual harassment.

“The defendants’ severe abuse of power victimized our most vulnerable community members for almost 20 years and stripped them of their basic right to safety and dignity,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. “Sexual misconduct is never a misunderstanding of boundaries. It is coercion and it is violence disguised as authority.”

Low-income tenants in particular may be reluctant to complain about issues with a landlord or a rental for fear of being quickly evicted, which could leave them with few options for housing and potentially homeless.

The settlement agreement did not include Lucas and the case against him continues, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice.

Earlier this month, the court agreed to appoint a guardian to help represent Lucas in the case. Lucas’ attorney said in court documents that Lucas has been diagnosed with dementia and has diminished mental capacity.

If you are a victim of sexual harassment by a landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, email the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or submit a report online.