Former state worker sues over religious, gender discrimination – including comments on hijab

A former state worker is suing the Office of the State Budget Director for alleged discrimination and wrongful termination related to her nationality and practice of Islam.

Ghada El-Dabbagh, in a suit for damages filed on Thursday in Franklin Circuit Court, describes a 2017-2019 stint in the Governor’s Office for Policy Research (GOPR). The complaint alleges that her supervisor subjected her to “unwelcome gender distinction based upon comments concerning the wearing of a hijab,” and suggests that she was fired in retaliation for complaining about an “abusive working environment.”

The suit says that GOPR deputy executive director Dr. James Michael Jones, her superior at the time who is also a defendant named in the suit, transferred her to a lesser role and then directed her to sign a form that waived her right to appeal the transfer while placing his hand over the form. Jones is still employed by the state.

Dabbagh, who was born in Kuwait, states that she was treated differently by Jones for her “deeply held religious convictions and national origin.”

“At all times relevant to this complaint, Mrs. Dabbagh was subject to discriminatory comments and actions on account of her race, deeply held religious convictions, and national origin,” the lawsuit reads. “After each instance, Mrs. Dabbagh brought it to the attention of Dr. Jones as her supervisor or to Human Resources.”

Dabbagh filed two appeals to the State Personnel Board, both of which were later withdrawn according to Dabbagh’s attorney, Andre Regard. A spokesperson for the Finance and Administration Cabinet said that, upon a written opinion by a hearing officer, the Personnel Board dismissed Dabbagh’s allegations.

“There are various pathways you can take to legal redress, and we decided that a civil complaint was the proper way to handle this rather than the personnel board appeal process,” Regard said.

The suit claims that Jones retaliated against Dabbagh for filing the appeals, culminating in a wrongful dismissal.

The time frame described in the suit took place under the administration of former Republican governor Matt Bevin.

John Chilton was state budget director at that time, though the suit was filed officially against the current state budget director under Gov. Andy Beshear, John Hicks.

Dabbagh claims that as a result of the conduct of office supervisors, she suffered “mental pain, suffering, humiliation, shame, anxiety, embarrassment, mortification, hurt feelings, and emotional distress.”