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Landlord Says Accusers Lied In Historic Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

Investigator: 11 Plaintiffs Didn't Meet Until After Trial

POSTED: 4:45 pm CDT May 14, 2004
UPDATED: 5:06 pm CDT May 14, 2004

A Kansas City landlord ordered to pay $1.1 million for sexually harassing female tenants says all of his accusers are lying. The Justice Department said this was the largest judgment it has ever won in a Fair Housing Act case.

Bobby VealBobby Veal, 69, spoke with KMBC's Maria Antonia on Friday about the ruling that came down earlier in the week.

The 11 women who sued Veal (pictured, left) said he touched them inappropriately and asked for sexual favors. One woman said Veal forced her to have sex twice in her apartment -- once when her children were present. The women also claim Veal kicked out some tenants who refused his advances.

Veal says all the women were coached and are lying.

"They said I sexually harassed them. All of them said I grabbed their breasts and their behinds," Veal said. "They was all coached pretty good."

But Ann McKelvy, an investigator with Kansas City's human relations department, said she is confident about the women's claims. Her office began its investigation into Veal in 1997.

"They all said he fondled them; he made sexual advances," she said. "(The plaintiffs) never even knew each other."

McKelvy said all the women met for the first time at the courthouse after the trial ended.

"They were never all in the courtroom at the same time. They never were all in the witness room at the same time," she said.

But Veal, who owns more than 12 rental properties, maintains the women who rented from him made up their stories.

Antonia: "So you're saying all 11 of them are lying?"

Veal: "And I'll take a lie detector test."

Veal plans to appeal the jury's decision, saying he wasn't properly represented. He represented himself in court.


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