Transgender woman sues Michigan homeless shelter for workplace harassment

A transgender woman is suing a Michigan homeless shelter, alleging that coworkers harassed her and that management’s insufficient interventions left her unable to return to work.

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Devion Morgan filed a claim at the Washtenaw County 22nd Circuit Court against the Washtenaw County Shelter Association for alleged workplace harassment and discrimination based on how she identifies. She’s seeking $25,000 plus legal costs. The association runs the Robert J. Delonis Center, where she worked.

Morgan filed the lawsuit at the beginning of March, emphasizing discriminatory remarks allegedly made by her coworkers regarding her gender identity, MLive reports. The complaint includes claims regarding how the shelter management responded to her work situation and her use of paid time off.

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According to the outlet, she became a full-time operational specialist at the downtown Ann Arbor shelter in May 2025 after working there for seven months as a seasonal and part-time employee.

Morgan claims that during her time there, some of the other employees used derogatory language against her, outed her as trans to other employees, and refused to acknowledge or properly use her preferred pronouns. Morgan says she reported the behavior to managers and higher management, but claims her complaints went unanswered and that managers did not remedy the situation. Morgan also alleges that taking paid time off resulted in harassment, leading eventually to the involvement of a union representative.

According to MLive, she says that a few months after starting her position, a coworker alerted her to an email circulating that contained accusations against her and discussed her identity. According to the complaint, she brought the allegations to the facility’s board’s attention in December, telling them she “feared for her safety.”

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The complaint states that the board took some action, including an investigation into the email, employee training, and an apology to Morgan.

According to Morgan, she “has not been able to return to her job and has experienced elevated blood pressure, PTSD, and depression,” the lawsuit states.

Morgan claims the shelter acted in violation of Michigan’s Civil Rights Act by discriminating against her gender identity.

The shelter’s executive director responded to the lawsuit with a statement.
“We don’t tolerate any kind of harassment or discrimination at the shelter association,” said Nicole Adelman. “We will engage in the court process as required by the court rules.”

Morgan’s attorney did not respond to MLive’s request for comment.