Incorporating in DC wasn't enough to bring the case under its human rights law
A remote worker's discrimination and retaliation case was dismissed - not on the facts, but on where the alleged conduct happened.
A federal court in Washington has ended a former employee's discrimination and retaliation claims without weighing the evidence. In a decision dated August 10, 2026, the court found it lacked authority to hear the case, because none of the alleged conduct - or its effects - took place where her employers were incorporated.
The worker, a Black woman, was jointly employed by two nonprofits, New Venture Fund and Secure Democracy, from September 2019 to late 2021. Both were incorporated in the District of Columbia but operated remotely. She worked from Minnesota.
She alleged that her supervisors "subjected [her] to a pattern of racially charged conduct that created a hostile work environment," according to court filings. She claimed two of them "repeatedly engaged [her] in uncomfortable conversations about her race," including comparing her skin color to a coworker's as a measure of credibility on matters of race. At a retreat in Portland, Oregon, she said she "felt targeted and singled out" for earlier raising concerns about racial inequities.
She then took a formal complaint to her employer's HR team and general counsel, alleging racial discrimination, retaliation, and tax-code compliance issues. A day later, on October 29, 2021, the fund put her on paid administrative...
Compliance It’s the second federal contractor to settle with the Department of Justice over claims related to DEI programs without admitting to any wrongdoing. August 31, 2026 • 3 min read I-9 in n...