Federal lawsuit alleges Baltimore DPW equity director was fired after reporting workplace civil rights violations

Allegations center on retaliation, discriminatory conditions, and unresolved complaints inside a major city agency

A former senior employee of Baltimore’s Department of Public Works (DPW) has filed a federal lawsuit alleging she was fired in retaliation after reporting workplace civil rights violations and attempting to address discrimination inside the agency. The complaint names the City of Baltimore and DPW as defendants and describes what it characterizes as systemic obstacles to internal equity work.

The suit was brought by Linda Batts, identified in the filing as DPW’s first director of equity, hired in 2019. Batts alleges she was tasked with identifying and addressing discriminatory practices within DPW operations, but that her efforts were blocked by agency leadership. The complaint states she was terminated in March 2021 after escalating concerns about discrimination and other alleged wrongdoing inside the department.

Workplace conditions described in the complaint

The lawsuit describes allegations from multiple DPW worksites, including claims of a racially hostile work environment affecting Black employees at the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant. The filing also alleges gender-based workplace issues at certain facilities, including claims that female employees were denied access to bathrooms and had to leave buildings to use restrooms, and that the concerns were raised to leadership without corrective action.

• Allegations of racially hostile working conditions at DPW facilities, including Back River.
• Claims that women at some sites lacked basic access to restroom facilities.
• Claims that internal equity work was obstructed and that reporting up the chain led to retaliation.

EEOC findings and the right-to-sue notice

Batts’ case proceeds after federal administrative steps that commonly precede employment discrimination litigation. The lawsuit states that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigated and determined there was evidence supporting a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and that Batts received a notice of right to sue, allowing the matter to move into federal court.

The complaint contends the city did not provide a legitimate reason for the termination and instead cited a decision to “move in another direction.”

Context: DPW complaint pathways and scrutiny of working conditions

DPW maintains an internal equal employment opportunity complaints process through its Office of Equity & Environmental Justice, which outlines how employees may submit discrimination claims and notes that internal reporting does not replace timelines for filing with external agencies. The department’s internal procedures also emphasize that a right-to-sue notice can be issued only by outside civil rights enforcement agencies.

The Batts lawsuit arrives as DPW continues to face broader public attention over workplace conditions and accountability. In separate recent litigation involving DPW, another suit has alleged unsafe conditions and fear of retaliation among workers—signaling continuing legal scrutiny of internal practices and management culture in parts of the agency.

What happens next

The case is expected to proceed through early federal litigation stages, including responses from the defendants and potential motions addressing the scope of claims and available remedies. The city’s and DPW’s formal legal responses will determine which allegations advance toward discovery and possible trial or settlement.