Petty Friday: Who Is Andrea Lucas? The EEOC's Chair — and Its Most Effective Opponent

It’s Petty Friday — our weekly commentary for federal employees, where we take the week’s civil rights news with a little humor and a lot of receipts. This week: Andrea Lucas, the current Chair of the EEOC. If you asked us to name the most effective opponent the EEOC has ever faced, we’d give you the same answer — and yes, we see the problem too.

A note before we start: this is commentary and general information, not legal advice. It's also satire — but the receipts below are real.

In Her Own Words

Chair Lucas told a reporter she has “a conservative view of civil rights.” We don’t want to get political here — EEO rights are not supposed to be political. But the EEOC doesn’t only protect people who voted for the president who appointed its Chair. Congress said federal personnel actions shall be “free from” discrimination — full stop — and the federal government is supposed to be the model employer for people with disabilities.

Last year, she posted a video asking — direct quote — “Are you a white male who has experienced discrimination at work?” And yes: Title VII covers white men. It always has, and everyone agrees that’s good. That’s not the point. What’s new is the EEOC recruiting the plaintiffs its Chair prefers while dropping lawsuits for groups it’s supposed to protect.

The Abandoned Lawsuits

Starting in February 2025, the EEOC moved to abandon at least seven lawsuits it had filed on behalf of trans and nonbinary workers — cases the agency itself brought — describing continued representation of those plaintiffs as “incompatible” with the administration’s position. The Supreme Court has made clear that firing people for being transgender is unlawful. The plaintiffs didn’t change. The law didn’t change. The agency’s appetite did.

There’s more — the directive closing disparate-impact charges, and the proposal to stop collecting the federal workforce data we’ve had since 1966 — but we don’t want to ruin your Friday.

Some Lawyer Honesty

Nobody closed the agency. Good people at the EEOC are still doing good work, still winning real cases and real money for employees. But the leadership concerns are real — enough to warrant a Petty Friday. So who is Andrea Lucas? America’s most successful employer-side lawyer. Ask the EEOC — it’s been losing to her all year.

What This Means for You

Your rights under Title VII, the Rehabilitation Act, and the federal EEO process have not changed, and career staff continue to process and win cases. If your own EEO case is caught in the churn, don’t wait on headlines — talk to a federal employment attorney about protecting your claim. And come back next week. It’s Petty Friday, every Friday. You’ve earned it.

Legal Disclaimer: This content is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Federal employment situations are fact-specific and time-sensitive. Please consult a qualified federal employment attorney about your specific situation.