Two Metro Detroit employees have hauled the Michigan Department of State into court, accusing their bosses of running a racially hostile workplace where Black staffers are punished, sidelined and pushed out. The civil lawsuit, filed yesterday, says the women were demoted, denied promotions and then hit with retaliation when they spoke up. It seeks $10,000,000 in damages and names Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and several department officials as defendants.
The case landed in Wayne County Circuit Court and has been assigned to Circuit Judge Patricia Perez Fresard, who has scheduled a status conference for July.
What the complaint says
Plaintiffs Jaqueline Griffin and Cherylann Sankar allege they were unfairly stripped of their positions and passed over for promotions they say they were clearly qualified to hold, according to the Detroit Free Press. The lawsuit describes a pattern of discrimination and retaliation at their Metro Detroit branch.
Supporting their claims are affidavits from former MDOS officials Heaster Wheeler and Angela Harness, who describe what they say was a hostile work environment for Black employees. The plaintiffs are represented by attorney Leonard Mungo, who is asking the court to award $10,000,000 in damages.
Agency response
MDOS leadership has flatly denied the allegations, saying the department does not tolerate discrimination, harassment or retaliation, according to The Midwesterner. A department spokesperson told local reporters that officials plan to vigorously defend the agency and insist it continues to operate at what they describe as a high professional standard.
The strong pushback comes as the department is already juggling multiple, related complaints and lawsuits that have trained a bright spotlight on its internal culture.
Context and previous suits
The new complaint follows a separate filing from January, when four Black MDOS employees brought similar claims that the agency maintained a racially hostile environment and handled discipline and promotions unevenly, according to reporting on those earlier cases. Attorney Leonard Mungo has also represented several of those workers and others who have sued the department in recent months, contributing to a growing stack of employment-related litigation.
That January case, combined with other filings, has kept MDOS and Secretary Benson under sustained scrutiny at the same time Benson is running for governor, adding clear political stakes to the courtroom drama.
Legal fallout and the Harness settlement
One of the affidavits attached to the latest lawsuit comes from former MDOS official Angela Harness, who last year reached a separation agreement with the department reportedly worth $775,500. State attorneys told the paper the settlement with Harness was reached "to avoid litigation costs." The new complaint argues that, even after that payout, patterns of demotion, denial of promotion and retaliation have continued, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Griffin and Sankar are asking for monetary relief and are urging the court to step in and address what they describe as ongoing discriminatory practices inside the department.
What’s next
The case now heads into the grind of the Wayne County court system, starting with the July status conference and whatever deadlines Judge Fresard sets for motions and pretrial work. In the coming months, both sides are expected to exchange documents, take depositions and test each other’s claims.
Beyond the legal sparring, the lawsuit adds fresh fuel to the political debate over MDOS leadership in a high-stakes election year, and it is likely to become part of the broader public conversation as Michigan’s governor’s race heats up.
