Lisa Banks and Debra Katz to Represent Former EEOC Chair and Commissioner Charlotte A. Burrows

EEOC Commissioner Confirmed Under Both Democratic and Republican Administrations Fired by President Trump

Today, Charlotte A. Burrows, former Chair and Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released the following statement with her attorneys after being fired on Monday, January 27 by President Donald Trump.

“Late last night, I was informed by the White House that President Donald Trump was removing me from my position as a Commissioner of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), along with fellow Commissioner Jocelyn Samuels.

I was first appointed as a Commissioner of the EEOC in 2015, and have served under Presidents Obama, Trump, and Biden. I served as Chair of the Commission from January 2021 through January 2025 and was recently confirmed for a third term expiring in July 2028.

It has been a tremendous honor to serve as a Commissioner and as the EEOC’s Chair, and to work with my fellow Commissioners, our staff, and the EEOC’s dedicated and talented career professionals.

Removing me, along with Commissioner Samuels, well before the expiration of our terms is unprecedented and will undermine the efforts of this independent agency to do the important work of protecting employees from discrimination, supporting employers’ compliance efforts, and expanding public awareness and understanding of federal employment laws.

I am proud of the work my colleagues and I have done to help remove barriers for equal opportunity for all workers and to promote fair and nondiscriminatory workplaces. While I strongly disagree with the President’s actions, and will explore all legal options available to me, I will continue to do all I can to fight for the rights of American workers and to support the efforts of others who do the same.”

Ms. Burrows is being represented by attorneys Lisa Banks and Debra Katz from the law firm Katz Banks Kumin LLP. Ms. Banks released the following statement.

“Removing Commissioner Burrows from her position, a full three and half years before the expiration of her term at the EEOC, is just the latest political attack we have seen from President Donald Trump in his coordinated effort to strip-mine the federal government. His efforts will not only significantly weaken the functioning of the EEOC – an independent agency dedicated to equal opportunity for all employees – it will weaken the civil rights protections afforded American workers in workplaces across the country.”

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