President Trump Fires EEOC Commissioners, Agency Continues Investigations

President Trump made an unprecedented move to fire two Democratic commissioners, Jocelyn Samuels and Commission Chair Charlotte Burrows, of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), on January 27, 2025, in an apparent effort introduce partisan bias into the agency’s decision making.

The move also stalls policy making at the agency. Without three sitting members, the commission does not have a quorum, and the EEOC cannot move forward on any policy changes until successors are confirmed.

What Does this Mean for Employees?

This does not mean that the EEOC is unable to continue its mission to investigate and enforce equal employment rights violations.

We have no reason to believe that the EEOC has stopped investigating complaints, including from private sector employees, and issuing rights to sue. Potomac Legal Group will continue monitoring developments and provide updates as we learn new information.

If you have questions about your employment situation, in either the private sector or federal employment, please contact the Firm.

The EEOC

For the last 60 years, the EEOC has maintained a bipartisan, independent role in ensuring American’s civil rights in employment remain protected. 

Congress created the EEOC in 1965 to consist of five members, no more than three of whom can belong to the same political party, to ensure decisions are informed by a variety of perspectives and serve the interests of the American people. 

The removal of these leaders disrupts the established framework, impeding the agency’s ability to function as intended and diminishing its capacity to carry out its mission. 

Ms. Samuels, who has served under both Republican and Democratic administrations in multiple federal positions, was appointed by President Trump in 2020. Ms. Burrows was appointed by former President Obama in 2015, and served under both Biden and Trump during his first term. Both Samuels and Burrows plan on challenging their removals.

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