An employee in Delaware’s Department of Insurance is suing the department and its leadership for discrimination and harassment.
Fluer McKendall is an African-American woman who has worked in state government for seven years and is currently a Director in the Department of Insurance.
In a complaint filed Wednesday in Federal court, she alleges Delaware Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro and a list of his subordinates repeatedly harassed and discriminated against her based on her race and gender.
“When the new administration came in, Ms. McKendall suffered unwanted touching of her hair, unwanted scrutiny of her clothing, her fingernails, comments that were just not made to any of the other directors who were not of color or not women,” said Angeli Murthy, legal counsel for McKendell.
The lawsuit claims McKendell made complaints of discrimination both internally and to external agencies, and after those reports were issued, Navarro and others coordinated a campaign of retaliatory harassment against McKendell – including denied requests for travel, exclusion from meetings and increased scrutiny concerning her performance.
“From where I sit, the retaliation that she suffered is the biggest problem that we have here, because it makes it so that people who have these problems can’t come forward," said Murthy.
It says McKendell is the only deputy-level woman of color in the department and her work is beyond reproach.
In a statement, Commissioner Navarro said that Department of Insurance has not seen the lawsuit yet and he would not comment on McKendell’s allegations since they involve a personnel issue.
"I can say with certainty, however, that the Department respects and values all of our employees. As the Insurance Commissioner and the leader of this Department, I do not and will not tolerate harassment, discrimination, or retaliation of any kind against any Department employee," said Navarro in the statement."
The state's Office of Budget and Management was also among those named in the lawsuit.
McKendell Complaint v. DE Dept of Insurance by Delaware Public Media on Scribd