Legal Allegations: Title VII Breach and Overreach
Represented by a trio of legal heavyweights—Democracy Forward, Katz Banks Kumin LLP, and Justice Legal Strategies PLLC—Samuels argues that her removal was unlawful, breaching the congressional intent behind the EEOC’s structure.
“Congress did not grant the president authority to remove EEOC commissioners at will,” her complaint reads. “This abrupt and unlawful termination before my term’s completion not only violates federal law, but fundamentally eviscerates the EEOC’s independent structure.”
Checks, Balances, and Constitutional Boundaries
Samuels emphasizes the deliberate structure Congress intended: a multimember, bipartisan commission with staggered, fixed terms—built specifically to withstand political interference and promote continuity across administrations. By removing her prematurely, she claims, the Trump administration “undermined the foundation” of that structure.
The lawsuit names not only Donald Trump but also the EEOC itself and Andrea Lucas as defendants, signaling a broader challenge to the events that unfolded during the tumultuous final days of the Trump presidency.
