Two former employees have launched separate lawsuits this week, accusing the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office of firing whistleblowers who spoke up about hiring practices and discrimination. One case was filed in Washtenaw County Circuit Court and the other in federal court, with both naming Sheriff Alyshia Dyer and the county as defendants. The filings land after months of friction between the sheriff's office and county leadership in Ann Arbor.
In a 15-page complaint filed last Thursday, former human-resources specialist Chamane Williams, 41, alleges she was pressured to sign off on candidates who did not meet job qualifications and then lost her position after objecting, according to WEMU. WEMU reports Williams' lawsuit is the second similar claim to surface this week.
CBS Detroit reports the sheriff's office is now facing two lawsuits that accuse it of violating whistleblower-protection laws. In a statement quoted by WEMU, Dyer said her office’s hiring practices have remained consistent, with state requirements and standards.
Context: A county already in court
The new cases arrive while Washtenaw County is already tangled in other high-profile litigation. The Department of Justice sued the county in April over local policies that it says interfere with cooperation with federal immigration authorities, according to a Justice Department press release. Those federal claims, along with local flare-ups, including an outside review triggered by a burned marijuana cigarette found in a county vehicle, have kept scrutiny on the sheriff and county leaders, as detailed by Hoodline.
Legal implications
The state-court lawsuit raises claims that track Michigan’s Whistleblowers’ Protection Act, which prohibits employers from firing or otherwise retaliating against employees who report suspected legal violations to a public body. Mich. Comp. Laws § 15.362 and related cases outline the rules and tight deadlines, often a 90-day window for bringing a WPA claim, that will shape what relief the plaintiffs can seek, according to statutory text and legal analyses (see MCL 15.362).
What to watch next
Both lawsuits are expected to run through the early legal gauntlet: initial pleadings, responses from the county and sheriff, and likely motions to dismiss before any move into discovery. Court dockets, including the Washtenaw County Trial Court record for the state case and the federal docket for the other, will lay out deadlines and any hearing dates, and local reporters are tracking public filings for the next twist.
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