A new lawsuit claims that when a staffer wanted to take legal action against the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation after she was raped by a former employee, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee fired her.
The lawsuit claims Jackson Lee, who is chair of the CBCF’s board, retaliated against the woman, referred to in court documents only as “Jane Doe,” after she requested a meeting with the Texas Democrat in March 2018 about her alleged sexual assault, which occurred three years earlier. Doe is seeking at least $75,000 in damages from Jackson Lee and CBCF, who are both named defendants in her suit, for harm caused to her career and emotional duress she suffered.
Doe alleges she was raped in 2015 by Damien Jones, the CBCF’s then-30-year-old intern coordinator, when she was a 19-year-old intern for the organization. Doe reported the incident to police and told other people about it at the time, including Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., a relative. She elected not to explore legal recourse despite DNA evidence obtained through a medical examination. Jones was eventually placed on leave from CBCF after a complaint from Doe.
Doe’s lawyer Michael Ellement confirmed to The Washington Times that there was a police investigation, but would not provide further details.
Jones, who last year worked for former Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s failed Senate campaign in Texas, did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment. Neither did a CBCF spokesperson.
Lee’s chief of staff Glenn Rushing told BuzzFeed the office “had nothing to do with any of the actions that have been cited and the person was not wrongfully terminated.”
The alleged rape came up after Doe joined Lee’s office in 2017 as special assistant and director of public engagement because Jones was being considered for another job on the congresswoman’s team.
Rushing told BuzzFeed Jones was not hired “because he had a situation with CBCF and they could not have him working in the office as a result.”
In early March 2018, Doe told Rushing she was planning to pursue legal action against CBCF and asked for a meeting with Jackson Lee. Doe was fired by the end of the month due to “budgetary issues,” which she alleges in the court papers was only a pretense for her dismissal.
