Colorado landlord agrees to settlement after allegations of sexual assault and harassment of family and children

A Colorado landlord and a property management company have reached a $300,000 settlement in a lawsuit after they were accused of sexually assaulting and harassing a family living in one of their properties.

Landlord Kathryn Butters of Eagle and property management company Butters Investments settled the case by agreeing to pay the family in question $300,000, attend fair housing training and be monitored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for compliance with the Fair Housing Act, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

According to a lawsuit filed in federal court, Butters made repeated unannounced visits to the family home in 2019 and 2020 and made “unwanted sexual comments and contact” with four family members, including an 11- or 12-year-old boy and a 10-year-old boy.

CBS News Colorado does not name victims or alleged victims of sexual assault or identify them in this story.

Butters allegedly made “inappropriate sexual comments toward the family, including comments about the genitals of one of the children” and sexually harassed family members by “slapping both parents on the buttocks and touching the children’s genitals.”

The case began with a complaint to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which investigated the complaint and determined that discrimination had likely occurred. The department then referred the case to the U.S. Department of Justice to file a civil lawsuit in federal court.

The agreement does not contain an admission of guilt by Butters or the company, which denies any liability, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

“Sexual harassment in housing is particularly egregious because people have a right to feel safe in their homes,” Acting U.S. Attorney Matt Kirsch said in a statement. “We are committed to protecting tenants who face sexual assault and harassment, and we will continue to work with HUD to hold landlords and property managers who violate the Fair Housing Act accountable.”

CBS News Colorado left a voicemail message for Butters, as well as voicemails and emails to her attorneys seeking comment for this article, but did not receive a response as of Monday evening.