A federal lawsuit has been filed alleging that an employee at a county sheriff’s office was subjected to discrimination based on her race and sex, as well as retaliation and improper enforcement of employment agreements. The complaint was submitted by Racheal Guild in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on March 30, 2026, naming Sheriff Michael Shea, Undersheriff James Cuddie, Lieutenant Chad Smith, Lieutenant Troy Rabidue, and Sergeant Brian Goss as defendants.
According to the filing, the plaintiff began working at the Gladwin County Sheriff’s Office shortly after graduating from police academy in May 2023. She alleges that she was the only Black female deputy among an otherwise all White male staff. The complaint states that soon after her hiring, she was told by Sheriff Michael Shea that hiring her would “really help the department’s numbers.” It also describes how Lieutenant Chad Smith referred to her as “Ray-Ray,” which is described in the filing as a pejorative term with negative racial connotations.
The lawsuit outlines several instances where Guild claims she was treated differently than her colleagues. She reports being singled out for vehicle inspections by Sergeant Brian Goss and receiving disproportionate scrutiny regarding her written reports compared to other deputies. The complaint also recounts racially derogatory remarks made by another officer about Guild’s complexion during nighttime patrols and references to lynching directed at another deputy’s wife.
Guild further alleges that disciplinary actions taken against her were unfairly harsh or not applied equally to others. For example, after a motor vehicle accident in February 2025, she received a written discipline including accusations of dishonesty and incompetence. The complaint argues these allegations were misleading or exaggerated given her immediate correction of facts following the incident and subsequent consistent explanations.
Another issue raised involves disciplinary action over a photograph posted online by Guild’s husband (also a deputy), which did not identify the department or display official insignia. According to the complaint, while both spouses had similar photos online, only Guild faced investigation and suspension for this conduct.
The document details escalating workplace scrutiny following these incidents: “Defendants began aggressively policing Plaintiff’s conduct…in a manner that far exceeded the scrutiny applied to similarly situated White male deputies.” Guild claims this led to significant emotional distress requiring medical leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act in July 2025. Upon returning from leave, she alleges continued harassment ultimately forced her resignation effective August 10, 2025—a situation described in legal terms as constructive discharge.
Following her departure, Guild states that Gladwin County initiated a civil lawsuit against her seeking repayment for police academy training costs on grounds she left before completing sixty months of service. She contends this repayment demand is discriminatory because it was not enforced against similarly situated employees who resigned earlier—specifically naming Jeremy Renshaw—and argues it violates Michigan law prohibiting such agreements when required as a condition of employment.
The legal arguments presented include violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for race and sex discrimination; violations of Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act; unlawful enforcement of training repayment under Michigan Wage and Fringe Benefit Act; retaliation; and requests for declaratory judgment voiding any unenforceable agreement related to training reimbursement.
Guild seeks damages exceeding $75,000 plus costs, interest, attorney fees, compensatory and punitive damages where applicable under federal law, reinstatement or other equitable relief deemed appropriate by the court. She also requests declaratory judgment regarding invalidity of any training repayment agreement imposed as an employment condition.
The attorneys representing Racheal Guild are Victor J. Mastromarco Jr., Kevin J. Kelly, and Amia I. Jackson from The Mastromarco Firm in Saginaw, Michigan. The case is identified as Case No. 2:26-cv-11039-RJW-APP.
Source: 226cv11039_Racheal_Guild_v_Sheriff_Michael_Complaint_Eastern_District_of_Michigan.pdf
