Fired EEOC Member’s Case Tests Trump Power Over Anti-Bias Agency

A former Equal Employment Opportunity Commission member suing for reinstatement after being fired by President Donald Trump must prove her case without the same statutory protections shielding other agencies’ leaders from dismissals without cause.

Former Democratic EEOC Commissioner Jocelyn Samuels’ lawsuit filed April 9 in D.C. federal court alleges Trump illegally fired her Jan. 27, breaking from Congressional intent and limiting the anti-bias agency’s ability to function.

Trump wasted no time in his second term dismissing officials at independent agencies across the federal government. Leaders from other agencies already sued the administration, but Samuels is the first from the civil ...