A federal lawsuit has been filed alleging severe workplace discrimination and harassment against a major U.S. government department. Dr. Pete-Gaye V. Nation initiated the complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia on November 19, 2025, targeting Douglas A. Collins, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, as the defendant.
Dr. Nation, an African-American physician with a chronic disability affecting her neck, back, shoulder, and upper extremities, claims that she faced discrimination and a hostile work environment at the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center in Dublin, Georgia. The lawsuit alleges violations under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Dr. Nation asserts that despite being qualified and capable of performing her duties with reasonable accommodations—such as ergonomic modifications and voice-recognition software—the VA failed to maintain these accommodations adequately. Beginning in March 2020, technical failures with her equipment became frequent, exacerbating her medical condition and causing significant delays in patient care.
The complaint details how Dr. Nation’s repeated requests for functional accommodations were met with dismissive responses from management, including Dr. Jennifer Kennedy and Dr. John O’Brien at the VA Medical Center. Despite acknowledging her technical difficulties and their impact on patient safety and care quality, effective solutions were not implemented by the administration.
Dr. Nation also accuses the VA of racial and gender-based discrimination by highlighting differential treatment compared to non-Black male colleagues who received more supportive responses to similar issues without disabilities or medical conditions affecting their work performance.
The lawsuit seeks comprehensive relief from the court: declaratory judgments affirming unlawful conduct by the VA; injunctive relief mandating corrective actions; compensatory damages for emotional distress; economic damages covering lost wages and benefits; attorneys’ fees; costs; expenses; and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Represented by attorney Shaun C. Southworth from Southworth PC in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Nation is pursuing this case under Case ID 3:25-cv-00113-DHB-BKE before judges at the Southern District Court of Georgia.
Source: 325cv00113_DR_PETE_v_Douglas_Complaint_Middle_District_of_Georgia.pdf
