Overview
- Four Black current and former Michigan Department of State employees filed a Jan. 12 Wayne County Circuit Court suit under the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act against Benson, MDOS, and senior staff.
- The complaint alleges a pattern of unequal application of hiring, pay, promotion, discipline, performance plans, and state-vehicle rules that harmed careers and reputations.
- MDOS shared records showing plaintiff Nirva Civilus logged more than 7,300 miles in state vehicles from December 2024 to September 2025, triggering an internal probe and an Oct. 24 referral to the Attorney General for possible criminal review.
- Sworn affidavits from former Assistant Secretary Heaster Wheeler and former director Angela Harness describe a racially hostile environment and say leadership failed to correct discriminatory practices.
- Defendants include Chief of Staff Christina Anderson, Chief Operating Officer Jackie Venton, Division Director John Strodtbeck, and Labor Relations Specialist Brittany Edwards, as the lawsuit proceeds alongside heightened political attention to Benson’s campaign.