The office of the New York State comptroller has now called on real estate brokerage eXp Realty to launch an independent investigation into sexual assault and harrassment allegations at company events, according to a report.
The allegations, first exposed in a New York Times article in December, claimed two male agents from the company drugged their female peers at alcohol-fueled work events and then proceeded to sexually assault them. The expose also claimed eXp leadership had been silencing the victims who attempted to report the assault.
"The New York Times report raised a huge red flag for us as an investor in that company," New York State comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a new interview with the New York Times. "We found the allegations very concerning and as a shareholder, we are asking questions. We want a public reporting of their efforts to prevent harassment."
DiNapoli also noted that he had already sent a letter to eXp chief executive Glenn Sanford requesting they establish an independent committee to investigate the allegations and look into any potential gaps in company policies that opened the stage for assaults to occur.
Sexual Assault Allegations
The real estate company is currently facing two separate sexual assault lawsuits filed by five current and former agents at the firm. In one of the lawsuits, plaintiff Anya Roberts alleged that she met David Golden-one of the company's prominent real estate agents-at a real estate event in February 2020. The pair engaged in what appeared to be a romantic relationship before Golden gave her drugs that wiped out her memories.
Roberts also named another prominent agent, Michael Bjorkman, whom she met at another event. Bjorkman, along with Golden, allegedly have her a drink containing a performance-enhancing drug that knocked her out. In her lawsuit, Roberts said she believes both agents sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious.
A second sexual assault lawsuit filed by other women who worked at eXp Realty also named Bjorkman and Golden. Additionally, the lawsuit also alleged that company executives also took action after the first lawsuit had been filed.
Despite facing two lawsuits, The Times found that allegations of sexual assault still persists at the company and noted that another female broker said she had become a victim during an eXp conference in Orlando as recently as May 2023.
