In a striking legal battle, a former employee has filed a lawsuit against a major federal agency, alleging severe workplace discrimination and retaliation. Ingrid J. Smith, the plaintiff, lodged her complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on January 2, 2025, targeting Denis R. McDonough, Secretary of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), as the defendant.
The case revolves around allegations that Smith faced discriminatory practices based on her race, gender, and age during her tenure at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Healthcare System in New Orleans. According to court documents, Smith claims she was subjected to a hostile work environment and retaliatory actions after reporting misconduct by colleagues and engaging in protected Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) activities. The saga began when Smith reported unauthorized access to patient records by coworkers in June 2022. Despite being authorized by the affected patient to investigate this breach, Smith found herself accused of similar misconduct months later—a move she contends was retaliatory.
Smith's troubles compounded when she requested temporary schedule adjustments to accommodate her son's school schedule—requests allegedly granted to younger employees without issue but denied to her. She asserts that this denial led to unjust disciplinary actions against her, including being marked absent without leave (AWOL). In October 2022, following her formal EEO complaint citing discrimination based on sex and age, Smith's performance appraisal was downgraded from "Excellent" to "Fully Satisfactory," which she perceived as further reprisal.
Smith's employment with the VA ended abruptly with two termination letters issued within weeks—first rescinded after union intervention but followed swiftly by another citing "conduct unbecoming of a federal employee." She argues these terminations were pretextual acts of retaliation for her EEO complaints and whistleblowing activities.
In seeking justice, Smith is asking the court for comprehensive relief: reinstatement or front pay if reinstatement is not feasible; back pay with interest; compensatory damages for emotional distress; attorney fees; and injunctive relief against further discriminatory practices by the VA. Her legal team underscores that these measures are necessary to rectify not only financial losses but also significant emotional suffering endured due to alleged unlawful employment practices.
Representing Ingrid J. Smith are attorneys James E. Sudduth III and Kourtney L. Kech from Sudduth & Associates LLC. The case is presided over by an Administrative Law Judge under Case ID 2:25-cv-00022.