A former employee has filed a lawsuit against a major defense contractor, alleging sex discrimination and retaliation. On December 5, 2025, Cynthia Ledbetter filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia against Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). The complaint accuses SAIC of engaging in discriminatory practices based on gender and retaliating against Ledbetter for her complaints about these practices.
The case revolves around allegations that Ledbetter, who had been employed by SAIC since 2008 and rose to the position of Program Management Senior Manager, faced ongoing discrimination and harassment due to her gender. According to the complaint, this mistreatment was primarily orchestrated by her colleague and supervisor, Daniel Welch. Ledbetter claims that Welch made derogatory remarks about her qualifications based on a prior romantic relationship with a government employee—a standard not applied to her male counterparts. Despite filing multiple complaints with SAIC’s human resources department regarding Welch’s behavior and alleged fraudulent billing practices under government contracts, Ledbetter asserts that no action was taken against Welch. Instead, she contends that he was promoted within the company.
Ledbetter’s legal action seeks redress for several alleged violations of federal law: sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Pay Act; retaliation under both Title VII and the False Claims Act (FCA). The plaintiff argues that she was paid less than a similarly situated male employee who replaced her after her termination. She also highlights instances where she reported suspected time fraud related to government contracts—reports which were allegedly ignored by SAIC management.
In addition to seeking back pay, front pay, compensatory damages for emotional distress, punitive damages for willful misconduct, liquidated damages under relevant statutes, attorney’s fees, and other costs associated with litigation, Ledbetter demands a jury trial. Her attorney is Michael Turiello from Skeen Law Offices in Charlottesville, Virginia. The case is identified as Case No: 1:25-cv-2270.
Source: 125cv02270_Ledbetter_v_Science_Applications_International_Corporation_Complaint_Eastern_District_Virginia.pdf
