Michigan

Lawsuit alleges discrimination against Black employees by Benson, MDOS

Published

2 weeks ago

January 14, 2026

MM Team

The lawsuit, filed in Wayne County Circuit Court docket, alleges discrimination towards black present and former workers.
The company has denied the allegations and says it is not going to tolerate any discrimination.
One of many plaintiffs within the lawsuit was referred to the Lawyer Normal’s workplace for investigation into the usage of a state car.

A latest lawsuit filed in Wayne County Circuit Court docket alleges that the Michigan Division of State fostered a hostile work atmosphere for Black workers and engaged in unfair retaliation practices.

The lawsuit, filed Monday, Jan. 12, names Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and the division as defendants, together with different officers. 4 present and former workers of MDOS filed the criticism, which incorporates allegations that:

Black MDOS workers had been punished for violating insurance policies that weren’t clearly established or didn’t even exist throughout the company, whereas white workers weren’t.
Senior workers retaliated towards black workers members who complained of a hostile work atmosphere.
A black worker was handed over for a promotion regardless of being extra certified than the chosen candidate, who was white. When that worker complained about being handed over, work obligations of their present position had been taken away.
Former MDOS worker Nirva Civilus was ordered to terminate the employment of a 72-year-old worker. When Civilus refused as a result of age was a protected class underneath Michigan civil rights legal guidelines, her pay was stopped for someday. When she complained that she was being handled much less favorably than white workers members within the division, Civilus’ duties had been eradicated and her assist workers was decreased.

An MDOS spokesperson denied the allegations within the lawsuit.

“Each member of the Michigan Division of State – from prime to backside – should comply with the regulation, uphold the division’s moral requirements, and are available to work every single day with a dedication to serving the individuals of Michigan,” MDOS spokesperson Angela Benander stated in an announcement on Jan. 13.

“The Secretary and the Division’s management is not going to tolerate any harassment, discrimination, or retaliation towards any worker, buyer, or Michigan resident primarily based on their race, gender, or age. We are going to vigorously defend this case in courtroom and proceed to function with the very best requirements of transparency, ethics, and professionalism.”

The plaintiffs are in search of financial damages and have requested a jury trial over allegations that the division violated state civil rights legal guidelines by deliberately discriminating on the premise of race, retaliating towards workers who got here ahead with complaints, making a hostile work atmosphere for black workers and fascinating in a sample and apply of discrimination. Former and present MDOS workers David Murray, Elvine Vanbolden, Mychael Foster and Civilus are the plaintiffs within the case and are represented by lawyer Leonard Mungo.

Together with Benson and MDOS, Chief Working Officer Jackie Venton, Chief of Workers Christina Anderson and MDOS Worker Engagement and High quality Administrator John Strodtbeck are listed as defendants.

Connected to the lawsuit is an affidavit from former Assistant Secretary of State Heaster Wheeler, who later served as a guide at MDOS, the place Wheeler states: “African American workers at MDOS have suffered and proceed to endure a racially hostile atmosphere and in any other case unlawfully discriminatory employment practices that MDOS routinely employs by way of its agent managers and workers within the biased software of stated insurance policies towards its African American workers.”

Wheeler additionally served as co-chair of MDOS’s Race and Fairness Activity Drive from 2020 to 2023, based on the affidavit.

Info supplied to the Free Press exhibits that Civilus, the State Division’s director of public engagement, was underneath investigation for doable misuse of a state car. The Michigan Division of Transportation, Administration and Funds had flagged Civilus’ car use, based on MDOS, and a log of worker car use from December 1, 2024 to September 1, 2025 confirmed that Civilus had greater than 3 times as many car days, 142, than the subsequent MDOS driver, who had 45 car days. The investigation led to Civilus’ resignation and in October the investigation was referred to Lawyer Normal Dana Nessel’s workplace.

The criticism filed on behalf of Civilus and different workers states that MDOS has no written coverage relating to the usage of state automobiles. MDOS supplied a replica of the signed settlement between MDOS and Civilus, which states partially that the usage of state automobiles is for official state enterprise functions solely.

Murray, who was employed as Civilus’ assistant in August 2023, claimed he was denied a pay improve primarily based on his race. He additionally claims he was later handed over for a promotion, with MDOS as a substitute selecting to advertise a white worker, who was much less certified than Murray, based on the criticism.

The courtroom submitting states that Murray complained to MDOS officers that he had been handed over for the promotion, however has since been held to a better efficiency normal than white and non-black workers on the company. Throughout that point he was additionally disadvantaged of his duties. The criticism additionally states that Murray was investigated for his use of a authorities car.

Within the car use log supplied to the Free Press, Murray and Civilus are the one MDOS workers who used state automobiles on the weekend.

Foster, one other plaintiff within the case, additionally claims he’s held to a better normal than white and non-black MDOS workers. Since submitting complaints in regards to the therapy, the criticism states that Foster has been positioned on a efficiency enchancment plan and has not been denied development alternatives. Foster additionally claims that he was threatened with arrest if he didn’t return the workplace keys whereas he was sick.

“These illegal, racially discriminatory employment actions have left (Foster) so emotionally, mentally and bodily sick that (he) needed to take sick go away for eight months, of which plaintiff was not paid for 5 months,” the criticism states.

Vanbolden is division director inside MDOS, partly accountable for hiring workers. She claims that her division’s director, Daybreak VanAken, accused her of being racist for not deciding on a white candidate for a place and as a substitute hiring a black candidate. VanAken later gave Vanbolden a low efficiency ranking in an worker analysis.

Benson is operating for governor of Michigan and is extensively seen because the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination after Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist ended his gubernatorial marketing campaign to run for secretary of state. The Michigan Democratic Celebration Black Caucus endorsed Benson within the race on Tuesday.

The case has been assigned to third Circuit Choose Patricia Perez Fresard. A listening to is scheduled for April 13.

You may attain Arpan at alobo@freepress.com