When Fighting Discrimination Becomes the Discrimination

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), created to fight workplace discrimination, became a hostile work environment under the Trump administration. A recent ruling by a judge has confirmed this.

Marc Seawright's Story

Marc Seawright, the Director of Information Governance and Strategy at the EEOC, was forced to resign. He alleged that the leadership discriminated against transgender employees, including himself. The judge agreed, stating that Seawright had a valid reason to resign. As a result, he is now eligible for unemployment benefits while his discrimination complaint is reviewed.

A Career Dedicated to Fighting Discrimination

Seawright had worked at the EEOC for eight years. He played a crucial role in fighting workplace discrimination and even created an app that allowed colleagues to share their pronouns. He was also a leader in the agency's LGBTQ+ employee resource group. However, the new EEOC chair, Andrea Lucas, disbanded the group.

A Hostile Work Environment

In January, Seawright was instructed to erase any mention of transgender, non-binary, or sexual orientation from agency materials. As a queer trans man, this was personally devastating for him. He stated that it made the work environment hostile.

Seawright's complaint extends beyond what he was told to do. He was locked out of network systems essential for his job and left off meeting invitations for initiatives he was supposed to lead.

Systemic Changes at the EEOC

• Other EEOC staff were told to stop processing complaints from workers alleging LGBTQ+ discrimination.
• The EEOC attempted to dismiss lawsuits against companies accused of discriminating against trans and non-binary workers.
• The agency's internal non-discrimination policy was rescinded.

Contradictions and Legal Implications

These changes are ironic, as they occurred at the agency tasked with fighting discrimination. They also contradict a 2020 Supreme Court decision, which ruled that discrimination based on transgender identity or sexual orientation is prohibited by the Civil Rights Act.

Legal Proceedings

Seawright's lawyer, Rebecca Peterson-Fisher, argued that Andrea Lucas' actions go against the Supreme Court's interpretation. Before Seawright can sue in federal court, he must allow the EEOC until December to review his complaint. After that, his attorneys can ask a jury to decide if the EEOC was a hostile work environment. For now, at least one judge in the US has confirmed just that.