Refugee organization sued over alleged discrimination

A nonprofit organization that helps refugees and immigrants in Iowa is being sued for allegedly discriminating against clients who are African, Muslim or disabled.

Alaa Elqatary-Reelitz is suing the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. The committee is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the needs of refugees and immigrants. It is headquartered in Viriginia, but has an office in Des Moines.

In her lawsuit, Elqatary-Reelitz, an African-Egyptian Muslim, alleges that in September 2023 she began working in the organization’s Des Moines office as a program coordinator. She was later passed over for promotion to the positions of field office director, refugee services manager, child and youth support officer and development associate, she alleges.

Azizullah Azam, a male from Afghanistan, was hired as a case manager assistant in January 2024, the lawsuit alleges. Later, when Elqatary-Reelitz complained of what she perceived to be Azam’s aggressive and harassing conduct toward her, Azam allegedly responded by telling her he treated his wife the same way when she aggravated him.

On one occasion, the lawsuit alleges, Elqatary-Reelitz was walking through the organization’s parking lot where Azam was “waiting in his car.” According to the lawsuit, Azam threw his car into reverse, almost striking Elqatary-Reelitz, and then began “yelling at screaming” at her.

According to the lawsuit, Elqatary-Reelitz then took medical leave for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and later reported ongoing discrimination and retaliation to the organization’s CEO. After she was cleared to return to work, the lawsuit alleges, she was terminated by the organization.

In her lawsuit, Elqatary-Reelitz alleges that not only was she subject to discrimination, harassment and retaliation at work, but that U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants employees engaged in “biased decision-making, including against persons who were African, Muslim, Middle Eastern or disabled.”

As an example, the lawsuit alleges Elqatary-Reelitz once asked why disabled refugee clients were excluded from a program and was told it was because the program was focused on rapid job placement, which meant prioritizing young and healthy individuals.

The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants has yet to file a response to the lawsuit, and the Iowa Capital Dispatch was not able to reach anyone Friday at the organization’s offices in Des Moines for comment.