Baltimore family files wrongful death lawsuit against city over heat-related death of DPW worker Ronald Silver II
In a heart-wrenching turn of events, the family of Ronald Silver II, a Baltimore Department of Public Works (DPW) employee, is set to file a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Baltimore and its DPW. The lawsuit alleges that DPW subjected Silver and other workers to **unsafe, dangerous, and subhuman working conditions**, including extreme heat exposure without formal heat safety training, lack of basic supplies such as water and toilet paper, retaliation against workers who raised safety concerns, and harsh treatment like assigning more difficult routes or threatening termination and jail time.
The lawsuit, which accuses the city of violating civil rights laws and forcing employees to work in unsafe conditions, unfolds a grim picture of the working conditions faced by DPW employees, particularly those with prior criminal records. The family describes this system as a form of "modern-day slavery," citing violations of the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibiting involuntary servitude and slavery.
Specific unsafe conditions highlighted include:
- Absence of formal heat-related safety training despite working in conditions with temperatures feeling like 108°F. - Forced grueling manual labor in extreme heat without adequate protections or accommodations. - Denial or restriction of access to water, and withholding of basic supplies. - Punishment and retaliation against workers who complained or sought help. - The operation of a labor system that traps workers into these dangerous conditions with fear of retaliation or jail if they quit.
On August 2, 2024, Ronald Silver II tragically collapsed twice while on duty due to heat-related complications. His co-worker, Travis Christian, is also a plaintiff in the lawsuit. Silver was transported to the hospital but ultimately died due to his injuries.
The Baltimore Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a detailed report in March 2025, outlining the events of that day. The report revealed that DPW workers feared retaliation for stopping work due to illness and described a culture that discouraged breaks even in dangerous heat. The OIG report also noted a longstanding pattern of excessive route demands, poor vehicle conditions, and lack of rest periods at DPW.
Ronald Silver's co-worker, Christian, stated that the DPW truck's air conditioning system was not functioning on the day of Silver's death. The agency found that DPW lacked any heat safety training before Silver's death and identified 29 heat-related cases between 2021 and 2024, although the OIG identified 29 such cases.
DPW began implementing a Heat Illness Prevention Plan in response to the findings, but the lawsuit alleges that this was insufficient and came too late for Silver. The department is accused of failing to inform workers about the risks of heat exposure or how to respond to symptoms of illness.
Vignarajah, a representative for the family, stated that DPW's practices were designed to lock in a culture of silence and subjugation, and Ronald Silver II paid the ultimate price. The family hopes that the lawsuit will bring both comfort and justice and compel reforms to protect sanitation workers in the future.
As of now, no official response has been received from Baltimore City or DPW regarding the lawsuit.
- The federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Baltimore and its Department of Public Works (DPW) alleges that the city's practices create a culture of unsafe, dangerous, and subhuman working conditions, particularly for employees with prior criminal records, likening it to modern-day slavery.
- The lawsuit details specific unsafe conditions such as the absence of formal heat-related safety training, forced grueling manual labor in extreme heat without adequate protections or accommodations, denial or restriction of access to water, retaliation against workers who complained or sought help, and the operation of a labor system that traps workers in these dangerous conditions.
- Following the tragic collapse and subsequent death of Ronald Silver II due to heat-related complications, the Baltimore Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report outlining the dangerous working conditions at DPW, including a culture that discouraged breaks even in dangerous heat and a longstanding pattern of excessive route demands, poor vehicle conditions, and lack of rest periods.
- The lawsuit alleges that DPW's Heat Illness Prevention Plan, initiated in response to the findings, was insufficient and came too late for Ronald Silver II, as the department allegedly failed to inform workers about the risks of heat exposure or how to respond to symptoms of illness.
- The family hopes that the lawsuit will bring both comfort and justice for Ronald Silver II and compel reforms to protect sanitation workers in the future, with a focus on health-and-wellness, workplace-wellness, mental-health, and ensuring that employees are treated fairly and in compliance with the law, including health and safety laws and the prohibition on involuntary servitude.
