ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A Washtenaw County woman is suing her former colleagues at Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor.
Dena Leath said she faced discrimination and harassment while working as a criminal investigator for V.A. Ann Arbor Department of Public Safety from July 2018 to May 2021.
Leath, a Black woman, believes she was discriminated against because of her race and sex.
“When I got there, people asked me, ‘How long are you going to last,’” said Leath.
Leath retired from Detroit Police Department in 2017 after 23 years. She also has a military background.
She said when she was hired at V.A. Ann Arbor in July 2018, she was the only woman in the department besides a clerk assistant.
“I’m used to petty being in the military and police, and you deal with people’s egos, but what drew my line is they violated someone’s rights, and I called that out,” Leath said. “The pettiness became more aggressive.”
Her attorney, Dionne Webster-Cox, said the alleged mistreatment and discrimination included physically blocking her from getting to her office mailbox, yelling at her, and that it would happen weekly.
“(Leath) one day comes to her mailbox, and she sees a manual that’s over 20 years old showing her how to interact with others,” said Webster-Cox. “Nothing recent; it was just used as a form of harassment.”
Leath said the alleged discrimination happened weekly, and even when she alerted her superiors, her claims were ignored or swept under the rug.
Leath resigned in May 2021. In March 2023, she received a Right to Sue letter from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
The federal lawsuit filed is against Lt. James Victorian and Officer Shane Haynes.
Attorney Webster-Cox said the suit also included Secretary of Veteran Affairs Denis R. McDonough to send a message.
“You’ve got a problem at your house,” Webster-Cox said.
“While VA doesn’t comment on pending litigation, we are determined to have a workforce that is welcoming, respectful and as diverse as the Veterans we serve. That means building an environment where employees of all backgrounds and gender identities can work and thrive at VA, grow their careers, and provide world-class care and timely access to benefits to Veterans. There is no place for discrimination of any kind at VA, and we take all allegations of wrongdoing very seriously and investigate them thoroughly.”
V.A. Ann Arbor
