AFGE Sues EEOC Over Suspension of Class Discrimination Claims

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and two correctional officers, Deanna Chelette and Alexzandria Boyd, filed a lawsuit on July 28, 2026, against the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The plaintiffs challenge a non-public agency-wide order issued before December 10, 2025, which directed administrative judges to halt all proceedings for federal-sector class complaints.

The suspension stalled several high-profile cases, including a certified class action involving at least 182 women at the Federal Correctional Complex in Pollock, Louisiana. Those women allege the Federal Bureau of Prisons failed to prevent widespread sexual harassment by inmates, including unwanted touching and rape threats. Attorneys for the plaintiffs state that at least five other class complaints, including cases against the FBI and the Department of Defense, are also frozen.

The legal action follows a shift in enforcement under EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas, who has redirected resources away from disparate-impact cases toward investigating employer DEI programs and "anti-white discrimination." The lawsuit seeks to vacate the suspension directive, arguing it violates agency regulations requiring the prompt adjudication of federal worker complaints. The EEOC referred inquiries regarding the directive to the Department of Justice, which declined to comment.