Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, EEOC NEWS—Burrows, Samuels removed from positions as EEOC Commissioners, (Jan 29, 2025)

By Brandi O. Brown, J.D.

“Removing me,” said EEOC Chairwoman Charlotte Burrows, “along with Commissioner Samuels, well before the expiration of our terms is unprecedented and will undermine the efforts of this independent agency....”

Yesterday, EEOC Commissioners Charlotte Burrows and Jocelyn Samuels announced that they had been removed from their positions by President Trump.

Commissioner Burrows was appointed in 2015 and had previously served under Presidents Obama, Trump, and Biden. She was also Chair of the EEOC for the past four years and had been recently confirmed for a third term that was not set to expire until July 2028.

Commissioner Samuels was first appointed by Trump himself in 2020 and then nominated for a second term by President Biden. Her current term is not set to end until July 2026.

“Removing me,” said Burrows, “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.”

“Protecting workers from unlawful discrimination is an American value; it is not – and should not be – a partisan issue,” said Samuels in a statement about her termination. “That’s why, more than 60 years ago, Congress created the EEOC as a bipartisan, independent agency, no more than three of whose members can belong to the same political party.”

While Samuels states that she is “considering” her legal options, Burrows is already being represented.

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