STATEMENT: Unprecedented Firing of EEOC and NLRB Officials Threatens Decades of Agency Independence and Worker Protections 

January 29. 2025

For Immediate Release
Jan 29, 2025

Media Contact
Nazirah Ahmad
[email protected]

Statement from Noreen Farrell, Executive Director of Equal Rights Advocates, on the firing of officials at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

Jan. 29, 2025 – President Trump’s unconstitutional and unprecedented firing of officials from two independent federal agencies marks a dangerous attack on agency independence, rule of law, and worker protections. These actions represent yet more illegal behavior by a president intent on weakening civil rights protections and openly discriminating against workers. The removal of EEOC Commissioners Charlotte Burrows and Jocelyn Samuels, along with NLRB Member Gwynne Wilcox and both agencies’ general counsels, has no legal basis and threatens the fundamental independence of these crucial worker protection agencies.

These commissioners serve fixed terms and are confirmed by the Senate specifically to maintain their independence from political pressure. By attempting to remove them, the president is not only violating established law but also endangering the agencies’ ability to protect workers from discrimination, harassment, and unfair labor practices.

The impact of these dismissals cannot be overstated. The EEOC receives tens of thousands of discrimination complaints annually and has secured millions in relief for workers facing harassment and discrimination. The NLRB protects workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively. Both agencies currently have major investigations pending, including cases against some of the country’s largest employers.

The administration’s actions, including the EEOC’s acting chair’s comments today, refusing to recognize gender identity in the workplace, continue to strike at the heart of basic workplace protections that have enabled generations of Americans to safely contribute their talents to the economy. The message is clear: this administration is willing to sacrifice both civil rights and economic growth to advance an extremist agenda that will leave workers vulnerable to discrimination without recourse.

Equal Rights Advocates condemns this assault on the EEOC’s independence and the rule of law. We stand firm in our commitment to protect workers’ rights and maintain the EEOC’s crucial role in enforcing workplace civil rights laws.

To request an interview with ERA expert Noreen Farrell, or Deborah J. Vagins, National Campaign Director & Director of Equal Pay Today, contact Erin Musgrave at [email protected] or (530) 864-7014.

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About Equal Rights Advocates

Equal Rights Advocates fights for gender justice in workplaces and schools across the country. Since 1974, they have been fighting on the front lines of social justice to protect and advance rights and opportunities for women, girls, and people of all gender identities through groundbreaking legal cases and bold legislation that sets the stage for the rest of the nation.