In a class action complaint, the former employees also said that the mass firings violated their First Amendment rights for perceived political stances.

Summary

Federal employees filed a class action complaint against the Trump administration, alleging unlawful terminations targeting non-white and non-male workers under executive orders banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

The complaint, supported by the ACLU and Democracy Forward, claims the firings violate the First Amendment and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

Plaintiffs seek reinstatement and damages.

A separate Maryland court temporarily blocked Trump’s orders from cutting DEI-related grants, but an appeals court stayed the decision. Additional lawsuits challenge the orders as unconstitutional discrimination.