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A group of federal employees has launched a class action complaint against the Trump administration, alleging that its executive order banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives resulted in unlawful terminations.
The complaint, filed Wednesday with the US Merit Systems Protection Board, contends that the administration dismissed workers based on perceived DEI involvement, violating constitutional and employment protections.
The complaint claims that federal workers were fired for real or assumed DEI activities, including those who had only attended training sessions or participated in employee resource groups. The plaintiffs argue that these dismissals infringed upon their First Amendment rights by penalizing perceived political affiliations and breached Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by disproportionately impacting non-white and female employees.
Filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Washington, D.C, alongside legal advocacy groups Democracy Forward and private law firms, the complaint accompanies multiple Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) discrimination charges following President Donald Trump’s January 20 order to terminate all DEI-related initiatives across federal agencies.
Allegations of discrimination and retaliation
Scott Michelman, legal director at the ACLU-D.C, alleged that the administration’s actions were politically motivated.
“The decision to go after people for DEI work they are no longer doing shows the administration’s true motive: to punish employees who they think hold values that clash with the president’s extremist agenda,” he said.
The White House has not issued a response to the allegations. The legal challenge names Mahri Stáinnak of the Office of Personnel Management as a lead complainant, along with Paige Brown and C. Scott of the Department of Labor and Ronisca Chambers of the Federal Aviation Administration. While the exact number of affected employees remains unclear, the ACLU reports that dozens have submitted grievances.
In addition to seeking reinstatement, the employees are pursuing compensation for lost wages and damages. The complaint remains open to other federal workers who believe they were terminated due to perceived political leanings or discriminated against based on race or gender.
Federal layoffs raise broader workplace concerns
Sherrell Pyatt, currently on administrative leave from the Department of Homeland Security, intends to join the case. She highlighted concerns over the impact of the firings on marginalized groups, noting that her team was predominantly composed of women and people of color.
The complaint highlights the potential impact of sweeping political directives on workplace rights and employment protections within federal agencies. If successful, it could set a precedent for future challenges to executive actions perceived as discriminatory or retaliatory in nature.
