EEOC sued over suspension of federal-sector class complaints
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and two female correctional officers, Deanna Chelette and Alexzandria Boyd, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia accusing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) of unlawfully halting all federal‑sector class discrimination and harassment cases. The plaintiffs allege that EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas issued an undisclosed directive that indefinitely suspended proceedings for every federal‑sector class complaint, and that EEOC administrative judges have paused all scheduled deadlines and appearances since Dec. 10, 2025. The agency referred all inquiries about the order to the Department of Justice, which declined to comment, and provided no reasoned explanation for the blanket policy. The lawsuit seeks a court order vacating the suspension and restoring the ability of federal workers to pursue class‑action claims. The case raises questions about the EEOC’s enforcement priorities after a major overhaul under the Trump administration.
Entities: Alexzandria Boyd · American Federation of Government Employees · American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) · Andrea Lucas · Deanna Chelette · Equal Employment Opportunity Commission · Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 11 SOURCES] The EEOC issued an indefinite suspension of all federal-sector class discrimination and harassment complaints.
- [● 11 SOURCES] Deanna Chelette and Alexzandria Boyd are correctional officers at a Louisiana federal prison who are part of a certified class alleging sexual harassment by inmates.
- [● 11 SOURCES] The suspension directive was not publicly disclosed and provided no reasoned explanation.
- [● 3 SOURCES] During the Trump administration, the EEOC overhauled its enforcement priorities, dropping cases for transgender workers and emphasizing a “color‑blind” approach.
- [● 11 SOURCES] The lawsuit seeks a court order vacating the EEOC’s suspension of federal-sector class complaints.
- [● 11 SOURCES] EEOC administrative judges have paused all scheduled deadlines and appearances for federal-sector class cases since Dec. 10, 2025.
- [● 11 SOURCES] The EEOC referred all questions to the Department of Justice, which declined to comment.
- [● 11 SOURCES] The American Federation of Government Employees filed the lawsuit to force the EEOC to undo the suspension directive.
- [● 11 SOURCES] EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas is alleged to have issued the directive halting all federal-sector class complaints.