Local
Ex-employee sues Whitman-Walker
Alleges discrimination, hazardous workplace
Omar Mendez Rivas had been working at the organization’s Elizabeth Taylor Building at 14th and R Streets, N.W. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
A former employee has accused Whitman-Walker Health in a lawsuit filed on Jan. 15 of illegally firing him in retaliation for his complaint that he was subjected to a hazardous workplace “contaminated with paint fumes and other toxic materials.”
Omar Mendez Rivas, who was hired by Whitman-Walker in April 2015 as a staff accountant/grant biller, charges in his lawsuit that the organization terminated his employment on the same day he informed supervisors he had filed a complaint against Whitman-Walker with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
The lawsuit, which seeks $200,000 in compensatory and punitive damages, also charges Whitman-Walker with violating the D.C. Human Rights Act by discriminating against him in the firing based on his race, national origin and gender.
“One week prior to termination, Plaintiff filed a complaint with OSHA in regards to building violations and uses of toxic paint in a confined space during working hours, without warning or without protection against harmful fumes and materials used – this resulted in Plaintiff getting severely ill with headaches, dizziness, nausea and respiratory difficulties,” the lawsuit charges.
In a Jan. 22 motion calling for the U.S. District Court for D.C. to dismiss the case, Whitman-Walker argues that each of Rivas’s allegations “fail as a matter of law” because they fail to “state a claim upon which relief can be granted.”
The motion also says that Rivas was “terminated at the conclusion of his three-month introductory period,” and under D.C. rules related to employment “an at-will employee may be discharged at any time and for any reason, or for no reason at all.”
Whitman-Walker spokesperson Shawn Jain told the Blade Rivas had been working at the organization’s Elizabeth Taylor Building at 14th and R Streets, N.W. He said Whitman-Walker has a policy of not commenting on the reason why employees leave the organization.
“We continue to dispute the claims made by Omar Mendez-Rivas,” said Jain, who added that OSHA conducted its own investigation and has not issued any safety violations based on Rivas’s claims regarding paint fumes.
A page on the OSHA website for a case listed as “Whitman-Walker Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center – Inspection Information” says the case was opened on July 31, 2015 and closed on Sept. 10, 2015. No findings of a violation in OSHA regulations are listed on the page.
OSHA spokesperson Leni Fortson said the fact that no violations are listed indicates none were found by OSHA inspectors who visited the building in response to the complaint.
Jonathan Dailey, the attorney representing Rivas, said he was told by OSHA while preparing the lawsuit that the case was ongoing. But he said he won’t dispute what OSHA is now saying and will correct the lawsuit’s assertion that the probe was continuing.
He said the lawsuit was never dependent on an OSHA finding of a violation. “This is a wrongful termination case,” he said. “This is based on common law a wrongful discharge public policy exception, which is recognized under D.C. law as a cause of action.”
The lawsuit says Whitman-Walker has responded by saying the termination was not due to Rivas’s OSHA complaint but it has refused to give a reason for the termination.
“At no point after his hire and prior to his termination did defendant complain about his work performance, other than praise,” the lawsuit says.
The case has been assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton.
A gay man was murdered in Petersburg, Va., on March 13.
Shyyell Diamond Sanchez-McCray, who was also known as Saamel and Mable, was a drag queen who won the Miss Mayflower EOY pageant in 2015. Reports also indicate Sanchez-McCray, 42, was a well-known community activist in Virginia and in North Carolina.
Local media reports indicate police officers found Sanchez-McCray shot to death inside a home in Petersburg.
Sanchez-McCray’s brother, Jamal Mitchell Diamond, in a public statement the Washington Blade received from Equality Virginia and GLAAD, said Sanchez-McCray was not transgender as initial reports indicated.
“Our family has always embraced the fullness of who he was. He used the names Saamel, Shyyell, and Mable interchangeably, and we honor all of them. There is no division within our family regarding how he is being represented — only a shared commitment to preserving his truth with love and respect,” said Diamond.
“He was also deeply committed to community work through Nationz Foundation, where he worked and completed multiple state-certified programs to support marginalized communities,” added Diamond. “That work meant a great deal to him.”
Authorities have not made any arrests.
The Petersburg Bureau of Police has asked anyone with information about Sanchez-McCray’s murder to call Petersburg-Dinwiddie Crime Solvers at 804-861-1212.
District of Columbia
Trans Day of Visibility events planned
Rally on the National Mall scheduled for Saturday
The Christopher Street Project has a number of events planned for the 2026 Trans Day of Visibility, including a rally on the Mall and an “Empowerment Ball” at the Eaton Hotel. Plenaries, panel discussions and meetings with members of Congress are scheduled in the three days of programming.
Announced speakers include N.H. state Rep. Alice Wade; Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Precious Brady-Davis; activist and performer Miss Peppermint (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”); Lexington, Ky. Councilwoman Emma Curtis; Rabbi Abby Stein; D.C. activist and host Rayceen Pendarvis; Air Force Master Sgt. Logan Ireland; among other leaders, advocates and performers.
Conference programming on Thursday and Friday includes an educational forum and a Capitol Hill policy education day. Registration for the two-day conference has closed.
The “Trans Day of Visibility PAC Reception” is scheduled for Thursday, March 26 from 7:30-9 p.m. at As You Are (500 8th St., S.E.). Special guests include Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nevada) and Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.). Tickets are available at christopherstreetproject.org starting at $25.
The National Council of Jewish Women and the Christopher Street Project host a “Trans Day of Visibility Shabbat” on Friday, March 27 from 7-8 p.m. at Sixth & I (600 I St., N.W.). The service is to be led by Rabbi Jenna Shaw and Rabbi Abby Stein.
The “Now You See Me: Trans Empowerment Social & Ball” is scheduled for Friday, March 27 from 6-11 p.m. at the Eaton Hotel (1201 K. St., N.W.). The trans-themed drag ball is hosted by the Marsha P. Johnson Institute with support from the D.C. Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs, the Capital Ballroom Council, the Christopher Street Project, the Center for Black Equity, Generation for Common Good, and Parenting is Political. RSVP online at christopherstreetproject.org.
The National Transgender Day of Visibility Rally is scheduled for Saturday, March 28 on the National Mall at 11 a.m. The rally will include speakers and performances. Following the rally, attendees are encouraged to participate in the “No Kings” rally being held at Anacostia Park.
Virginia
Virginia General Assembly’s 2026 legislative session ends
Voters in November will consider repealing marriage amendment
The Virginia General Assembly’s 2026 legislative session ended on March 14.
Lawmakers have yet to approve a budget, but they did pass a resolution that paves the way for a referendum on whether to repeal the state’s constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman. Lawmakers also advanced House Bill 60, which would protect PrEP users from insurance discrimination.
Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger has until April 13 to decide to pass, amend, or veto legislation before it goes back to the House of Delegates on April 22.
Spanberger on Feb. 6 signed the bill that sets the stage for the marriage amendment referendum. Voters will consider whether to “remove the ban on same-sex marriage; (ii) affirm that two adults may marry regardless of sex, gender, or race; and (iii) require all legally valid marriages to be treated equally under the law?”
Equality Virginia has been working during this legislative cycle to urge lawmakers to allocate funding towards LGBTQ rights. The budget would expand funding for schools, competency training for the 988 suicide hotline, and funding to provide gender affirming care to LGBTQ youth.
“As the budget moves through conference and the Reconvene Session approaches on April 22, Equality Virginia remains focused on ensuring our victories this session translate into durable protections,” Equality Virginia Executive Director Narissa Rahaman told the Washington Blade in a statement. “Progress on marriage equality, nondiscrimination protections, and HIV care funding was essential, but Virginia must do more.”
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