LGBT Detroit Executive Director Named in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit by Former Employee

Jerron Totten alleges years of unwanted touching and groping, followed by retaliation and termination after reporting the conduct

Published: December 8, 2025 | Last Updated: December 8, 2025

One of Michigan's most prominent LGBTQ+ organizations is facing serious allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation in a lawsuit filed by a former employee who says he endured years of unwanted sexual advances before being fired for speaking out.

Jerron Totten filed a complaint in Wayne County Circuit Court on Nov. 18 alleging LGBT Detroit's executive director subjected him to repeated inappropriate touching throughout his six-year employment, then terminated him in retaliation for reporting the conduct. The lawsuit alleges violations of Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. A status conference is scheduled for Feb. 17, 2026.

According to the complaint, Totten worked at LGBT Detroit from April 2019 until his termination on April 30, 2025, initially serving as social outreach coordinator and legislative assistant. The suit alleges that throughout his employment, Executive Director Nzere Kwabena "repeatedly sexually harassed and degraded" Totten through unwanted physical contact.

The complaint details that during Totten's first meeting with Kwabena on April 4, 2019, the executive director allegedly told him that "touching and kissing" were commonplace at the organization and that "no one bats an eye" at intimate physical contact between employees. The lawsuit alleges that Kwabena subsequently subjected Totten to inappropriate physical contact on numerous occasions, including "hugging [him] for excessively long periods, touching [his] body in a sexually inappropriate manner, and grabbing and touching [his] buttocks."

The situation escalated in January 2025 when Totten expressed discomfort working with a volunteer coordinator who was reportedly close friends with a job applicant Kwabena had an intimate relationship with and had offered a position at the organization. According to the complaint, Kwabena became angry, began shouting at Totten, and asked him "do you want to fight me?"

After Totten reported Kwabena's behavior to board president Antonio Johnson-Seals, the lawsuit alleges the executive director asked board members not to read Totten's written statement and referred to him as a "disgruntled employee." Days later, Kwabena allegedly sent a memo to all staff falsely claiming Totten had been recording conversations with colleagues.

The complaint states that Totten began experiencing severe panic attacks and took medical leave in February 2025. On Feb. 17, a psychiatrist diagnosed him with post-traumatic stress disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. When he returned to work in March, his email access had been changed in a way that "substantially impacted [his] ability to perform the functions of his position effectively," according to the lawsuit.

On April 14, 2025, Totten's attorney sent a letter to LGBT Detroit outlining the alleged harassment and retaliation. Two weeks later, the organization terminated his employment.

Tad T. Roumayah, a partner at Sommers Schwartz, P.C., is representing Totten in the case.

"My client pursued this case because every member of the LGBTQIA+ community deserves a workplace that is safe, respectful, and free from sexual harassment," Roumayah told Pride Source. "He believes that this organization should be held to the values it claims to promote within this community, and he hopes his case reinforces the importance of accountability. He also hopes it sends a clear message to all employers that sexual harassment and retaliation are always wrong and will not be tolerated."

LGBT Detroit is North America's largest Black-founded and Black-led LGBTQ+ nonprofit organization. Founded in Detroit, the organization leads the annual Hotter Than July Pride event, which draws nearly 20,000 attendees from around the world each summer. The organization currently offers 15 programs serving approximately 800 community members annually.

According to its website, LGBT Detroit works "towards making Detroit a safer place for all to work, play and live, without fear and malice" with a mission of "increasing the prominence and visibility of Detroit's LGBT culture, and building a strong, healthy and vibrant community."

In a statement provided to Pride Source, the executive committee of LGBT Detroit's board of directors said the organization "categorically deny the allegations brought forward."

"The claims made in the complaint do not reflect the facts of the situation or the values of our organization," the statement reads. "Because this is pending litigation, we are limited in what we can discuss publicly. However, we want to be clear that we intend to fully and vigorously defend the organization and its leadership against these unfounded accusations. LGBT Detroit remains committed to providing a safe, respectful and equitable workplace for all staff, volunteers and community members. We trust that the legal process will bring forward the truth."