The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) faces allegations for allegedly stopping a sexual harassment case involving female prison guards. A civil rights agency has blamed an administrative judge for this mistake.
A labor union, along with two female prison guards, sued the EEOC, which is responsible for enforcing employment anti-discrimination laws. They accused the agency of indefinitely pausing proceedings as part of a broader effort to halt all federal-sector class claims pending before administrative judges. The lawsuit referenced a Dec. 10, 2025, administrative judge’s order that paused the sexual harassment case, applying this pause to all class cases in the federal sector.
On Thursday evening, EEOC Chief Operating Officer Sharon Rose submitted a court document stating the judge’s notification was issued ‘in error’ and described the incident as isolated. Rose also mentioned that the EEOC moved the case to a different administrative judge, who issued a new scheduling order.
The document contained a letter from Justice Department attorney James Harlow to the plaintiffs, explaining the error and requesting the withdrawal of their preliminary injunction motion. Harlow emphasized that the EEOC agrees federal-sector class complaints should proceed without suspension.
“In short, Defendants agree that processing of federal-sector class complaints should not be suspended,” Harlow wrote.
Joseph Sellers, co-chair of the civil rights and employment practice at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, representing the plaintiffs, contested the government’s claim that the suspension was an isolated incident. They represent federal workers in at least five other class complaints that have also faced delays, including cases against the FBI and Department of Defense. In two cases, administrative judges issued scheduling orders on Monday, as mentioned in Harlow’s letter.
Harlow requested information on any other suspended federal-sector class complaints for investigation. Sellers expressed skepticism over the EEOC’s claim of an isolated incident, noting that scheduling orders were only issued after the lawsuit was filed.
“The timing speaks for itself. We have evidence of a number of cases that were stayed. It is not an isolated incident as the EEOC seems to claim,” Sellers said.
The lawsuit against the EEOC was filed by the American Federation of Government Employees, representing federal workers, and two women correctional officers from Louisiana’s Federal Correctional Complex at Pollock. The women claimed management failed to prevent inmates from sexually harassing female workers.
Under President Donald Trump, the EEOC significantly changed its civil rights enforcement priorities, focusing on eliminating diversity and inclusion policies, dropping cases concerning transgender workers, and abandoning tools that investigate systemic discrimination. These changes incited multiple lawsuits against EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas, who aims for an ‘even-handed’ and ‘colorblind’ approach to workplace civil rights.
Rose stated neither the EEOC nor Lucas directed administrative judges to suspend class cases indefinitely. The EEOC referred queries to the Justice Department, which did not immediately provide a comment.
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