He claims he only found the 56-entry file years later, during legal proceedings
A former NASA intern alleges he was secretly documented in a 56-entry performance log he never knew existed — then terminated.
Ravin J. Serrao, a Black, African American veteran, filed a federal lawsuit on March 27 accusing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of race and disability discrimination, a hostile work environment, and retaliation during his time as a Pathways Intern at Kennedy Space Center. The case — Serrao v. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, No. 6:26-cv-00684 — is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. No determination has been made on the merits.
Serrao started at NASA in February 2019 as a Student Trainee in the Engineering Directorate's Resources Management Office, where he handled the budget for over 60 projects with budgets exceeding $80 million. His April 2019 evaluation rated him "Meets Expectations" across all categories and described him as an "integral part" of the office.
But according to the lawsuit, a parallel record was quietly taking shape. A team lead began keeping a running log of alleged deficiencies on Serrao — referred to in the filing as the "Serrao Document" — starting in June 2019. It eventually grew to roughly 56 negative entries by March 2020. None of it, the suit states, was ever shared with Serrao. He did not discover its existence until years later, during administrative proceedings.
The lawsuit also alleges that a mentor submitted a positive performance assessment for Serrao in August 2019, which was never given to him. His supervisor instead issued a negative evaluation in September 2019 in its place.
The timing is notable. Serrao had disclosed his PTSD through NASA's internal system in July 2019. Weeks later, management allegedly attempted to end his employment but reversed course after learning he had appeal rights. By mid-August, the decision was reportedly made to separate him through non-conversion at the end of his internship.
Every other non-Black, non-disabled intern in Serrao's cohort, the lawsuit alleges, was converted to a permanent federal position. Serrao was not. The filing identifies a White male intern named Tristan who worked in the same office, performed comparable tasks, and was ultimately converted.
Serrao says he reported discriminatory treatment to NASA's Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity in October 2019 and filed a formal EEO complaint in February 2020. That same day, according to the lawsuit, he learned the non-conversion decision had already been made months earlier — during a period when his supervisors had allegedly encouraged him to remain in his role.
His employment ended in April 2020.
For HR professionals overseeing intern pipelines and performance documentation, the case raises pointed questions about transparency — and about the distance between what employees are told and what is decided behind closed doors.
NASA has not yet responded.
