Trump Fires EEOC Commissioners Burrows and Samuels in Another Outrageous Attack on Civil Rights and Rule of Law

Washington, D.C. – President Trump has fired Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioners Charlotte Burrows and Jocelyn Samuels. NELP condemns this outrageous attack on civil rights and the rule of law.

For six decades, the EEOC has enforced our nation’s civil rights laws in the workplace as an independent agency – where commissioners are confirmed by the Senate to serve set terms, are not a part of the president’s cabinet, and may not be removed because of ideological disagreements with the president.

Similar to firing NLRB Board Member Wilcox, firing these commissioners means that the commission will not have a quorum and cannot take votes on policy or enforcement of civil rights laws. The NLRB and EEOC are Congressionally authorized and funded agencies, and their members are Senate approved. President Trump is attempting to essentially nullify the Congressional authority these agencies have with his actions. Furthermore, his actions are clearly meant to silence any employees in these agencies who might dare to continue to enforce the rights afforded to workers under the civil rights and labor laws of this country.  Such lawlessness and disregard for the separation of powers set up under our Constitution cannot stand.

We commend Commissioners Burrows and Samuels, who recently served as Chair and Vice Chair of the commission, for their service. Under their leadership, the agency protected LGBTQ workers by implementing the Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, updated its guidance on the prevention of workplace harassment, began enforcement of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and took important steps to protect workers from the discriminatory impact of digital technology.

This is just one of many actions taken by the president in defense of the status quo of inequality and occupational segregation. NELP will continue our work to build an economy where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive in good jobs and we will stand with workers and our allies to find every possible remedy against such blatant abuses of power.

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