NEW ORLEANS — A former employee of the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Healthcare System has filed a federal lawsuit alleging workplace discrimination, harassment and retaliation during her employment at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The suit, filed within the statutory deadline, outlines a series of incidents that Ingrid J. Smith claims created a hostile work environment and culminated in her termination, according to a complaint filed Jan. 2 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Smith, an African American woman who began her employment with the VA in 2020, cites multiple instances of workplace discrimination and harassment.
She initially raised concerns in June 2022 when she reported a coworker for unauthorized access to patient medical records, a violation she documented in a formal report.
Instead of addressing the accused employees, Smith alleges that the VA retaliated against her by downgrading her performance appraisal in November 2022 and subjecting her to further scrutiny.
Smith’s complaints to supervisors about schedule changes and perceived threats from a coworker escalated tensions.
In August 2022, she received disciplinary notices, including being marked absent without leave (AWOL) for adjusting her work hours to accommodate her child’s school schedule—a practice she asserts was permitted for other employees without penalty.
Escalation of Legal Actions, Smith filed her first Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint on Oct. 7, 2022, alleging discrimination based on sex, age and retaliation.
She amended this complaint twice, first to address harassment tied to her downgraded appraisal and later to include the circumstances surrounding her termination in February 2023.
She simultaneously pursued an appeal with the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) in March 2023, which later led to a hearing before the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) in July 2024. Both cases remain pending resolution.
Smith’s lawsuit alleges that VA leadership unfairly targeted her after she reported misconduct and filed formal complaints.
She claims that her termination during her probationary period as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant was part of a pattern of retaliation for her whistleblowing activities, according to the suit.
Key allegations in Smith’s complaint include her performance appraisal being downgraded despite earlier commendations, including being named Employee of the Month in December 2022; accusations by a privacy officer that Smith maliciously accessed patient records, which Smith denies, asserting her actions were authorized by the patient; and unequal treatment compared to colleagues who faced no repercussions for similar or worse infractions.
Smith's federal complaint was filed in the Eastern District of Louisiana, where the alleged incidents occurred.
She is seeking judicial intervention to address what she describes as systemic failures to protect her rights as an employee.
The VA issued a Final Agency Decision in October 2024, giving Smith the legal green light to file her lawsuit. Her MSPB case, meanwhile, awaits a final ruling after evidentiary hearings in mid-2024.
Smith is seeking compensatory damages. She is represented by James E. Sudduth III and Kourtney L. Kech of Suddith & Associates in Lake Charles.
The attorneys declined to comment on the matter.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.