Lawsuit says EEOC froze federal class claims, including prison case

The American Federation of Government Employees and two federal correctional officers sued the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on July 28, alleging that the agency directed administrative judges to pause federal-sector class complaints indefinitely.

The lawsuit centers on a certified complaint brought by female employees at the Federal Correctional Complex in Pollock, Louisiana. The workers allege that inmates subjected women staff to sexual harassment, including rape threats, unwanted touching and nudity, and that prison management failed to prevent or correct the conduct.

The lawsuit does not establish that the EEOC officially halted every federal-sector class complaint. It asks a court to review and overturn what the plaintiffs describe as an agencywide suspension.

What the lawsuit alleges

The plaintiffs are AFGE, correctional officers Deanna Chelette and Alexzandria Boyd, and AFGE members. According to the lawsuit and a release from the plaintiffs’ attorneys, an EEOC notice directed that processing in federal-sector class cases be paused until further notice, with scheduled deadlines and appearances canceled.

The plaintiffs argue that the directive violates the EEOC’s duties to process federal employee discrimination complaints and unlawfully blocks cases that have already entered the administrative system. The lawsuit seeks to have the alleged suspension vacated. It is not a ruling, injunction or final determination.

The Pollock case

The underlying complaint involves female employees at the Louisiana prison complex. The complaint alleges that inmates engaged in serious sexual harassment and that management did not adequately respond. The allegations remain claims unless established through a final finding, settlement or judgment.

According to the lawsuit, an EEOC administrative judge certified the class in March 2025. The judge later issued a notice pausing the case until further notice in December, according to The Associated Press.

AP reported that the complaint included declarations from eight other women describing the alleged harassment and management’s response. The filing estimated that the class could include at least 182 women. The Federal Bureau of Prisons did not respond to AP’s requests for comment.

How the federal process normally works

Federal employees use an administrative discrimination-complaint system that differs from the process generally used by private-sector workers. The EEOC’s federal-sector guidance says employees may pursue complaints involving discrimination and workplace harassment, request a hearing before an administrative judge and appeal an agency’s final action.

The agency’s published regulations guidance says a class complainant may seek certification during the administrative process. An administrative judge may decide whether a class should be certified and handle the case after that stage. The agency then takes final action on the administrative judge’s decision, and the decision may be appealed to the Commission.

The EEOC’s appeals guidance says agencies generally have 40 days to review a class-certification decision and take final action. For a decision on the merits of a class complaint, the agency generally has 60 days. A class agent may appeal certain administrative-judge and agency decisions to the Commission.

How broad is the alleged pause?

The number of federal-sector class complaints affected has not been independently established. AP reported that the EEOC referred questions to the Justice Department, which declined to comment.

The attorneys representing the plaintiffs told AP that they also represent workers in at least five other stalled class complaints, including matters involving the FBI and the Defense Department. That is a statement from plaintiff attorneys, not an official government count.

Federal employees may have the option of leaving the EEOC process and filing in federal court, but the plaintiffs’ attorneys told AP that doing so could require workers to rebuild their cases and seek class status again. That alternative could take years, particularly where workers rely on collective evidence about agencywide practices.

What to watch next

The next significant developments will be the EEOC or Justice Department’s response, filings in the lawsuit and any court decision on whether the alleged directive was lawful. A public agency record explaining the scope of the pause would also clarify how many cases may be affected.

For federal correctional employees and other federal workers pursuing class complaints, the immediate question is whether the administrative process will resume and whether existing certifications and deadlines will remain in place.

Sources

• Associated Press, “A union and 2 prison officers sue the EEOC over an indefinite freeze of class claims”
• EEOC, “Questions and Answers: Final Federal Sector Complaint Processing Regulations”

Look for updates to this story

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