Civil Rights
Education Department spent up to $38M paying employees not to work before reinstating them, watchdog reports
The Government Accountability Office also reported that the caseload for the department’s Office for Civil Rights increased by an average of 98 cases per week during part of the time that these staffers were on paid leave.
Trump administration plans to end prison rape protections for trans and intersex people, memo says
A Justice Department memo obtained by Prism says certain standards under the Prison Rape Elimination Act do not align with Trump’s January 20 anti-trans executive order.
200 DOJ employees who left under Trump say admin is making ‘coordinated effort’ to undermine career staff
The Justice Department is actively pushing out career employees working on civil rights, they say.
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After shedding most employees, DOJ looks to shift around Civil Rights staff to fill ‘deep need’
Some offices have lost 75% of their attorneys but are still being asked to reassign those who remain to higher priority areas.
EEOC nominee would likely lead ‘real retreat’ from agency’s civil rights mission
Andrea Lucas is appearing before a Senate panel on Wednesday and is expected to be confirmed as EEOC chair. The Trump nominee wants to revisit agency guidance related to pregnancy and gender identity.
DHS says it won’t eliminate oversight offices but is still pursuing layoffs
Progressive legal organizations are suing to stop the Trump administration from winding down the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties as well as two ombudsmen focused on immigration.
Policy that let federal employees use preferred bathroom formally overturned by Trump administration
A trans federal employee, backed by legal groups, this week sued over Trump’s order that limits which bathroom individuals can use in government buildings.
Social Security shutters its civil rights and transformation offices
Among the people affected are those managing the agency’s website, a front door to services for Americans online.
House Dems join push to create AI-focused civil rights offices across government
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., would require that federal agencies “utilizing, funding or overseeing AI” establish civil rights offices to address algorithmic bias.
USDA wraps equity commission, vows to continue work
The department will likely have to contend with anti-DEI efforts as it pursues this goal.
LGBTQ+ asylum seekers detail harsh conditions and abuse in ICE custody
A new study found that the majority of LGBTQ+ detainees interviewed experienced harassment while being detained.
House panels review ‘startling’ allegations at Bureau of Indian Education university
An April 2024 report said the school did not act on sexual abuse claims, lacks institutional control to prevent theft and other abuses and is unresponsive to student complaints.
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Embracing authenticity: A call to action for federal employees for Pride Month and Juneteenth
COMMENTARY | “Being authentic isn’t just ‘speaking your truth,’ it also means paying attention to the comfort level of others and respecting our own boundaries,” writes one long-time federal employee.
Republican attorneys general mount a new attack on the EPA’s use of civil rights law
Twenty-three states want the Biden administration's EPA to curtail its approach to environmental justice.
5 agencies join Justice in pledge to protect civil rights against AI-fueled discrimination
The agencies pledged to use their existing enforcement authorities to tackle cases where artificial intelligence may impact Americans’ civil rights.
Civil Rights commission digs into government use of facial recognition
The tech poses “serious threats to our fundamental rights,” the chair of the commission said during a Friday briefing.
The DOJ works with law enforcement to improve how deputies communicate with people who don’t speak English
A ProPublica investigation revealed how a grammatical mistake in Spanish led sheriff’s deputies in Wisconsin to wrongly blame a Nicaraguan dairy worker for his son’s death.
Senators demand that the Justice Department halt funding to predictive policing programs
Investigations have shown how a predictive policing algorithm was both discriminatory and inaccurate.
Students and advocates ‘frustrated’ with the Biden administration’s slow response to finalize Title IX changes
House Democrats have urged the Education Department to act on policy protections for LGBTQ+ students and student sexual assault survivors.
White House tasks several agencies with responding to incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia
The departments of Homeland Security, Justice and Education will all have roles to address what the White House sees as rising discrimination on college campuses.
Federal agency accused of tolerating employees who distributed Nazi propaganda and harassed colleagues
One worker greeted coworkers with a Nazi salute and praised Hitler, a lawsuit alleges, while supervisors declined to take action.
