Keith L. Miller, a Boston-area property owner, has been sued for violating state anti-discrimination, lead paint, consumer protection and housing laws, according to Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office.

Miller, who owns and manages at least 24 residential rental units in Chelsea, Newton, Arlington and Brighton, allegedly engaged in a number of discriminatory and retaliatory practices against tenants with young children in order to avoid his obligation to comply with state lead paint laws, according to a statement. He allegedly evicted or threatened to evict tenants with young children, rented apartments containing lead paint to tenants with young children, failed to abate lead hazards in those apartments, failed to provide proper notice of lead hazards to his tenants and made misrepresentations regarding the presence of lead paint in his apartments. Miller is also said to have retaliated against tenants when they reported him for violations of the law.

"Tenants with young children have a right to housing that is free of lead paint hazards, and landlords have a responsibility to provide safe housing under state law," Coakley’s office said in a statement. "Massachusetts law prohibits landlords from evicting or otherwise discriminating against tenants because they have children. We allege that Mr. Miller discriminated against his tenants, put their health and well-being at risk, and unlawfully pursued evictions against them."