Oakland, California — Three women have filed a lawsuit alleging that they experienced sexual harassment by the live-in property manager at the Axis apartments in Oakland and that the building’s owners and management company failed to respond appropriately to their complaints.
The lawsuit, filed last week, describes separate incidents involving three tenants, including allegations of unwanted sexual advances, repeated calls and messages, and the use of security cameras to monitor residents’ movements.
Two of the women, Deonna “Dee Dee” Thompson and Chloe Shedrick, allege that the property manager began harassing them after they ended brief consensual relationships with him last year. The third woman, Jolie Zahra Drevitch, alleges that he made unwanted advances toward her during a Juneteenth celebration at the building this summer.
The property manager has strongly denied the allegations and said he intends to contest the claims through the appropriate legal process.
What the Oakland Apartment Lawsuit Alleges
The lawsuit raises questions about how complaints involving alleged employee misconduct were handled by the building’s management.
According to the women’s attorneys, the allegations involve more than the conduct of one employee. They claim the property owners and management company failed to take appropriate action after residents reported their experiences.
Rahman Popal, managing attorney at The Law Firm for Tenant Rights, said the women were not being taken seriously and expressed concern that other tenants could face similar experiences.
Associate attorney Rachel Neff said the legal team has photographs of text messages, emails and call records that it believes demonstrate a pattern of alleged harassment involving multiple residents.
The lawsuit alleges more than half a dozen civil violations, including sexual harassment and negligence. The claims have not been proven in court.
Deonna Thompson Says Harassment Began After Relationship Ended
Thompson said she prioritized safety when searching for an apartment in Oakland last year. She ultimately chose the Axis apartments, where she met the property manager during a building tour.
According to the lawsuit, Thompson and the manager entered a brief consensual relationship before she ended it.
The complaint alleges that the situation escalated during a Halloween party at the building last year. Thompson claims another building employee, who is also named as a defendant, grabbed her buttocks without her consent.
“I was just like, ‘Don’t ever put your hands on me again,’” Thompson told.
The employee denied the allegation, describing the claims against him as “100% false.” The lawsuit further alleges that the property manager repeatedly called and texted Thompson after she left the party and attempted to enter her apartment.
Thompson recalled receiving a phone call in which he allegedly shouted, “Open the door, open the door!”
She said she refused to let him inside. The following morning, according to Thompson, the manager left flowers outside her apartment, an incident she said was captured by her Ring camera.
Over the following month, the lawsuit alleges, the manager used building security cameras to track Thompson’s movements and left voicemails suggesting he knew where she was.
Thompson said she eventually moved out in March. She later learned that another tenant had experienced similar alleged behavior.
“It’s important to speak up about things like this because you don’t want it to continue,” she said.
Chloe Shedrick Describes Repeated Visits to Her Apartment
Shedrick also alleges that the property manager continued contacting her after their consensual relationship ended.
According to the lawsuit, he sometimes arrived at her apartment while intoxicated and attempted to get inside, despite her efforts to establish boundaries.
The complaint claims the behavior continued for months, with the manager allegedly knocking on her door, monitoring her movements through security cameras and questioning whom she was spending time with.
Both Thompson and Shedrick said they filed incident reports with the building’s management company.
However, the lawsuit alleges that their complaints had to pass through the same property manager they were accusing of harassment.
Thompson said she specifically requested that people on the property not read her report because it concerned the manager. She alleged that he later contacted her about its contents.
The complaint claims the management company failed to take sufficient action before Drevitch reported a separate incident this summer.
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Jolie Zahra Drevitch Reports Alleged Juneteenth Party Incident
Drevitch said she had lived at the Axis apartments for four years without incident before the alleged encounter during a Juneteenth party.
According to the lawsuit, the property manager put an arm around her neck and pulled her face toward his during the celebration. Later, as she was leaving, she encountered him in a stairwell.
The complaint alleges that he tried to persuade her to enter an apartment with him, claiming he needed help retrieving a drink for the party. When she declined, the lawsuit says, he attempted to block her path.
Drevitch described the encounter as frightening and said she fled down the stairwell.
“I went to work the next day, and I was really anxious and made excuses not to go home,” she told. “And I recognized that I didn’t feel safe in my own environment.”
Drevitch filed a police report following the incident. Oakland police said the report remains under investigation. She also reported the incident to upper management. According to the lawsuit, management promised to fire the property manager.
Property Manager Denies Allegations as Lawsuit Moves Forward
The property manager strongly denied the allegations, saying the lawsuit did not accurately reflect his account of the events. He said he intends to challenge the claims through the legal process.
The women’s attorneys argue that property owners and management companies have responsibilities beyond hiring employees, particularly when residents report alleged misconduct.
“The buck stops with ownership,” Popal said, emphasizing the safety and security tenants are entitled to expect in their homes.
The lawsuit seeks to hold the defendants accountable for the alleged conduct and the handling of the complaints. The case remains a civil dispute, and the allegations will need to be addressed through the legal process.
What should apartment management companies do when tenants report allegations of harassment against a property manager? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
