She sought $1.9 million - the court gave her eight cents on the dollar
A former Embassy of Mali employee won $155,509.27 in a sexual harassment and retaliatory firing case - after nearly losing it all over paperwork.
The worker sued in 2024, alleging she was terminated after refusing the Ambassador of Mali's sexual advances and reporting his conduct. The embassy never showed up to defend the claim.
In June 2026, the US District Court for the District of Columbia handed down default judgment, finding the embassy liable under both Title VII and the DC Human Rights Act. Liability was settled. Then came the hard part.
The court asked the worker to back up her damages claim. Her first submission was a single pay stub - written in French, no translation. The court gave her another shot, this time listing exactly what it wanted: job search proof, translated pay stubs with line-by-line explanations, and therapy cost records.
She came back with a translated pay stub, records of 75 job applications, and an unsigned letter from an employment services specialist. No therapy costs. No pay stub explanation. And her salary affidavits contradicted each other.
The court pulled the plug, dismissing the case without awarding damages.
But the worker moved for reconsideration - and the court relented. It found no legal error in its own earlier order but chose to reopen the matter to avoid "manifest injustice." With one final supplemental submission on the record, it worked with what it had.
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