Federal employees from various government agencies filed a class action lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming they were unlawfully fired for their involvement in DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) activities. This is tied to President Trump’s executive order that banned DEI efforts across the federal government.
According to the lawsuit, the administration fired employees it suspected were connected to DEI, including those who had minimal involvement, like participating in training sessions or employee resource groups.
The lawsuit, filed with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, which protects federal employees from politically motivated firings, argues that these mass firings violated the employees’ First Amendment rights, particularly because they were punished for their perceived political views.
Additionally, the complaint claims that Trump’s executive orders violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by disproportionately targeting federal workers who weren’t white men. This led to suspicion, job interference, and even terminations.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, D.C., private law firms, and Democracy Forward filed the complaint, alongside discrimination charges with federal Equal Employment Opportunity offices. These charges are related to Trump’s January 20th executive order requiring the end of DEI activities across the government.
Scott Michelman, the legal director at the ACLU-D.C., said in a press release, “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.”
The White House hasn’t yet responded to requests for comment.
The complaint includes individuals like Mahri Stáinnak from the Office of Personnel Management, Paige Brown and C. Scott from the Department of Labor, and Ronisca Chambers from the FAA. While the exact number of people involved isn’t clear, the ACLU says dozens have filed grievances related to the case.
The federal workers involved in the lawsuit are asking to be reinstated to their old jobs and compensated for lost wages and other damages.
Other federal employees who feel they were targeted or fired due to their political views or discrimination based on gender or race are welcome to join the class action.
Sherrell Pyatt, who works at the Department of Homeland Security and is currently on administrative leave, shared with NBC News that her team, which is now on leave, is primarily made up of women and people of color. She plans to join the class action lawsuit.
