Nov 24, 2025
Today, we filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia against the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) on behalf of Rainie Carter, a former Employee Relations Specialist who was terminated shortly after reporting a serious security breach at the agency's headquarters.
The complaint alleges that Ms. Carter was wrongfully terminated after she did exactly what WMATA trains its employees to do: "see something, say something." On May 21, 2025, while working at WMATA's L'Enfant Plaza headquarters, Ms. Carter observed an unauthorized individual carrying a silver handgun with a brown handle in the Employee Relations office area—a restricted space where only special police officers are permitted to carry weapons, and those officers are issued black service weapons, not silver handguns.
Ms. Carter immediately reported the incident to her colleagues and cooperated fully with WMATA's internal investigation. She provided detailed statements to investigators, who confirmed that surveillance footage corroborated key details of her account. Her supervisors praised her vigilance and thanked her for following proper security protocols.
Despite this commendation, the lawsuit contends that WMATA terminated Ms. Carter's employment on June 12, 2025—just 22 days after her initial report and only 36 days into her tenure. According to the complaint, Ms. Carter received no negative performance feedback, no warnings, and no indication that her work was unsatisfactory at any point during her employment. The only substantive feedback she received was positive recognition for appropriately handling the security incident.
The termination has had significant consequences for Ms. Carter. She left a stable position with Prince George's County Public Schools to accept the WMATA role, and the lawsuit states that she lost her health insurance coverage at a particularly difficult time—she is the sole provider for a minor child with special needs who requires ongoing behavioral therapy and specialized services.
"Employees who report legitimate safety concerns should never have to fear losing their jobs for doing so," said Managing Attorney Jordan D. Howlette. "Ms. Carter followed the rules, protected her coworkers, and was praised for her actions—only to be shown the door weeks later. This lawsuit seeks to hold WMATA accountable and send a clear message that retaliation against whistleblowers will not be tolerated."
The complaint brings claims under the D.C. Whistleblower Protection Act and for wrongful termination in violation of public policy.