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2mo ago

EEOC Judge Challenges Trump Administration's LGBTQ+ Policies

Karen Ortiz criticizes directives pausing LGBTQ+ discrimination cases and calls for resistance to 'illegal mandates.'

Karen Ortiz, an administrative judge at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, poses for photos, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Karen Ortiz, an administrative judge at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, poses for photos, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Karen Ortiz, an administrative judge at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, walks to her office, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Overview

  • Karen Ortiz, an administrative judge at the EEOC, publicly condemned directives to halt LGBTQ+ cases and comply with a Trump executive order recognizing only two sexes.
  • Ortiz's mass email to over 1,000 colleagues questioned the agency's leadership and urged resistance to policies she deemed unlawful.
  • Her email was deleted, her account access was revoked, and she received a formal reprimand for violating communication policies.
  • Ortiz's actions highlight growing tension within federal agencies over the Trump administration's cost-cutting measures and policy shifts.
  • Despite risks to her career, Ortiz stands by her actions, viewing them as a moral and legal obligation to uphold civil rights protections.