EEOC Faces Lawsuit Over Suspension of Sexual Harassment Case
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is under scrutiny after a lawsuit alleged the agency improperly halted a sexual harassment case involving female prison guards. A labor union and the guards have sued the EEOC, claiming the suspension of their case was part of a broader attempt to pause all federal-sector class claims currently before administrative judges.
An order dated December 10, 2025, from an administrative judge indicated that the sexual harassment case had been put on hold and mentioned that this pause applied to all class cases in the federal sector. However, a recent court document filed by EEOC Chief Operating Officer Sharon Rose suggested the judge’s notification was erroneous. This was labeled as an isolated incident, Rose explained, and the case has since been reassigned to another judge who promptly scheduled further proceedings.
The court document also contained a letter from Justice Department attorney James Harlow to the plaintiffs, echoing this explanation and requesting they withdraw their motion for a preliminary injunction. Harlow stated that the defendants agree that the processing of federal-sector class complaints should continue unhindered.
Despite these assurances, Joseph Sellers, a leading attorney for the plaintiffs, disputed the claim that the suspension was merely an isolated mistake. Sellers and his colleagues represent federal employees in more than five similar class complaints, with some against major government agencies like the FBI and the Department of Defense. According to Sellers, the issuance of scheduling orders only after the lawsuit’s filing implies the suspension was not simply an error.
The lawsuit was initiated by the American Federation of Government Employees and two female correctional officers from Louisiana’s Federal Correctional Complex at Pollock. Their class complaint alleges that prison management failed to adequately prevent sexual harassment by inmates.
During Donald Trump’s presidency, the EEOC significantly revised its civil rights enforcement strategies, affecting diversity initiatives and cases supporting transgender workers. These changes have led to several lawsuits involving EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas, who supports a perspective of workplace civil rights as even-handed and colorblind.
In her court statement, Rose clarified that neither the commission nor Lucas had directed judges to indefinitely suspend any class cases. The EEOC redirected questions to the Justice Department, which had not responded at the time of reporting.
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