Four African American employees of the Michigan Department of State have filed a lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court, accusing the agency and several senior officials of a pattern and practice of race-based discrimination, retaliation for complaining about unfair treatment, and a racially hostile workplace.
The complaint, filed Saturday, Jan. 10, by attorney Leonard Mungo, names Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, the State of Michigan, and the Michigan Department of State (MDOS), along with Chief Operating Officer Jackie Venton, Chief of Staff Christina Anderson, Division Administrator John Strodtbeck, and labor-relations specialist Brittany Edwards.
The plaintiffs are David Murray, Elvine VanBolden, Mychael Foster, and Nirva Civilus.
The lawsuit alleges violations of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act and seeks compensatory and exemplary damages, lost wages and benefits, attorney fees, and other relief.
It also includes a defamation claim brought by Civilus against Edwards.
Allegations of each plaintiff include:
- David Murray: The complaint says Murray, an executive office analyst, was hired in August 2023 but was denied a pay increase that his white colleagues received. He alleges he was passed over in April 2025 for promotion to a youth engagement specialist position in favor of a less-qualified white applicant, and that after he complained, his duties were stripped and transferred to white colleagues. Murray also alleges he was falsely accused of improper use of a state vehicle and, as retaliation for his complaints, was ordered in Nov. 2025 to drive from Detroit to Lansing one day a week despite no business necessity.
- Mychael Foster: Foster, a training specialist, alleges that beginning in March 2023, he was held to higher standards than white peers and repeatedly complained. He alleges defendants placed him on an unjustified performance-improvement plan in Aug. 2025, stripped him of responsibilities, denied him mileage reimbursement and relocation opportunities, and forced him to drive an extra 206 miles a day as punishment. Foster says the treatment caused him to take eight months of sick leave - five of them unpaid - and that he was wrongfully deprived of health benefits.
- Elvine VanBolden: VanBolden, a state administrative manager and division deputy director, alleges that a white supervisor pressured her to hire a white candidate over a more qualified Black applicant. When she refused to do so, she alleges the supervisor then gave her a low performance rating for “failing to adhere to MDOS’s DEI policy.” The suit claims she was called “that thing” by the same supervisor on a Microsoft Teams meeting, and that the supervisor said, believing she had logged off, that she would make sure she “doesn’t stay around.” VanBolden claims she was placed on a performance-improvement plan that exceeded MDOS limits and was denied an annual raise. She claims nothing was done in response to numerous complaints to MDOS management, Human Resources, and Jackie Venton concerning her belief that she was being mistreated because of her race throughout her tenure at MDOS.
- Nirva Civilus: Civilus, who served as director of public engagement, alleges she was repeatedly held to higher standards than white colleagues and urged by labor-relations staff to terminate older employees, which she refused. The complaint says MDOS docked her pay for a day in retaliation, stripped her of key duties and support staff, denied her a raise, and placed her on a performance-improvement plan in March 2025 after alleging she failed to complete a minor task. Civilus alleges MDOS falsely accused her of misusing a state vehicle, that Edwards contacted “community persons of high positions and political rank” and told them she was under investigation – which the complaint characterizes as defamatory - and that she was suspended and ultimately terminated in Nov. 2025, leaving her without health coverage when she needed medical care for serious health issues.
“All of these employees have been subjected to unreasonable scrutiny, investigations, and deliberate harassment,” Mungo said in an interview with Local 4.
The complaint accuses MDOS of systemic failures — alleging the agency lacks clear written policies and adequate training on hiring, promotions, discipline, performance-improvement plans, and the use of state vehicles — and of allowing supervisors to apply unwritten rules subjectively, to the detriment of Black employees.
The filing includes statements from former MDOS officials, including Heaster Wheeler, a former assistant secretary of state and senior advisor, and Angela Harness, a former bureau administrator and customer service director, who say they observed discriminatory treatment of Black employees and that complaints and surveys did not prompt effective corrective action.
Harness, who served as co-chair of the MDOS Race and Equity Task Force, says in 2023 she offered a training course on inclusive hiring for leadership to MDOS’s frontline managers. After completing one course, she claims Anderson told her to stop the training. She claims Anderson shut the Race and Equity Task Force down and prevented any additional diversity training from taking place at MDOS.
Michigan Department of State Response
Regarding Civilus’ termination, the Michigan Department of State provided documentation from December 2024 to September 2025 showing that Civilus had more than triple the number of days with a state vehicle than the next-highest MDOS driver.
Chief Communications Officer Angela Benander said Civilus had 30% more miles driven in motor pool cars than the next highest MDOS driver and had eight instances of back-to-back vehicle reservations.
Benander said the department was contacted by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget regarding Civilus’ vehicle use, which prompted an HR investigation.
She said the case has been referred to the Attorney General’s Office, which is investigating whether Civilus could face criminal charges, since misuse of state vehicles can be charged as a felony.
Benander also provided copies of state vehicle policies signed by Civilus, Murray, and Foster, as well as Wheeler and Harness.
Regardless, Mungo claims those policies weren’t applied equally to white employees.
“If you’re going to hold everybody accountable to the same policies and rules, then that’s fine. Then charge some of the white employees who are doing the same thing with those vehicles with theft and fraud,” Mungo said. “It’s just disgusting. It’s unfair.”
Benander provided the following statement to Local 4:
“The allegations in this lawsuit are absolutely false.
Every member of the Michigan Department of State – from the top down – must follow the law, uphold the department’s ethical standards, and come to work every day committed to serve the people of Michigan.
The Secretary and department leadership do not tolerate any harassment, discrimination, or retaliation against any employee, customer, or Michigan resident based on their race, gender, or age.
We will vigorously defend this case in court and continue to operate at the highest standards of transparency, ethics, and professionalism."
Chief Communications Officer Angela Benander