President Donald Trump has taken the unprecedented step of firing two of the three Democratic commissioners of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency responsible for enforcing civil rights law in the workplace. The dismissed commissioners, Charlotte Burrows and Jocelyn Samuels, confirmed their firings on Tuesday, expressing their intention to challenge the decision, which they described as undermining the agency's independence.
In a similar move, National Labor Relations Board member Gynne A. Wilcox and General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo were also fired, with Wilcox being the first Black woman to serve on the Board since its establishment in 1935.
The EEOC, created by Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, is a bipartisan five-member panel tasked with protecting workers from discrimination based on race, gender, disability, and other protected characteristics. The agency's commissioners are appointed by the U.S. president and confirmed by the Senate, with staggered terms meant to ensure continuity and independence.
Following the dismissals, the EEOC now has one Republican commissioner, Andrea Lucas, serving as acting chair, one Democratic commissioner, Kalpana Kotagal, and three vacancies that President Trump can fill. The agency investigates discrimination cases, imposes penalties on violators, and plays a crucial role in setting guidelines for anti-discrimination laws.
The recent firings are seen as a move to reshape the EEOC's focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, with the new acting chair emphasizing priorities such as combating unlawful DEI-motivated discrimination and defending traditional views on sex and gender rights.
The Democratic commissioners, on the other hand, have criticized executive orders targeting DEI practices and protections for transgender workers, reaffirming their commitment to upholding anti-discrimination laws despite the administration's directives.
Charlotte Burrows, a commissioner since 2015, lamented the impact of the dismissals on the agency's mission to combat discrimination and raise awareness of federal employment laws. Jocelyn Samuels, appointed in 2020, condemned her removal as a violation of the agency's independence and design as a multi-member body.
