Head of workplace rights agency urges white men to report discrimination

EEOC Chair’s Call for White Male Discrimination Claims Sparks Controversy

The head of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has ignited debate with a social media post specifically encouraging white men to file workplace discrimination claims, aligning the civil rights agency with the Trump administration’s anti-diversity stance.

EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas posted on X Wednesday evening, “Are you a white male who has experienced discrimination at work based on your race or sex? You may have a claim to recover money under federal civil rights laws.” The post, which included a video of Lucas herself, directed potential claimants to the agency’s fact sheet on “DEI-related discrimination.”

The message quickly went viral, garnering millions of views and amplifying the administration’s critique of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the workplace. Lucas posted her appeal just hours after Vice President JD Vance shared an article he described as exposing “the evil of DEI and its consequences.”

Lucas, responding directly to Vance’s post, wrote: “Absolutely right @JDVance. And precisely because this widespread, systemic, unlawful discrimination primarily harmed white men, elites didn’t just turn a blind eye; they celebrated it. Absolutely unacceptable; unlawful; immoral.” She added that the EEOC “won’t rest until this discrimination is eliminated.”

When asked for comment, Lucas defended her approach Thursday evening, stating, “The gaslighting surrounding what DEI initiatives have entailed in practice ends now.” She emphasized that “the EEOC’s doors are open to all,” noting that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 “protects everyone, including white men.”

Lucas’s focus reflects a significant shift in the EEOC’s priorities since President Donald Trump named her chair in November. Since becoming acting chair in January, she has redirected agency resources toward “rooting out unlawful DEI-motivated race and sex discrimination,” mirroring Trump’s own executive orders targeting diversity initiatives.

Earlier this year, the EEOC and Department of Justice jointly issued “technical assistance” documents warning that common workplace diversity practices—including training programs, employee resource groups, and fellowship initiatives—could potentially violate civil rights laws depending on their implementation.

These guidance documents have drawn criticism from former EEOC commissioners who argue they misrepresent DEI initiatives as inherently problematic from a legal standpoint.

David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at the NYU School of Law, criticized Lucas’s characterization of DEI programs. “It’s really much more about creating a culture in which you get the most out of everyone who you’re bringing on board, where everyone experiences fairness and equal opportunity, including white men and members of other groups,” Glasgow said.

Glasgow’s center tracks lawsuits potentially affecting workplace DEI practices. While acknowledging that individual cases of discrimination against white men may occur, he noted the absence of “any kind of systematic evidence that white men are being discriminated against.” He pointed out that white men remain overrepresented in Fortune 500 CEO positions, corporate leadership roles, and Congress relative to their share of the population.

“If DEI has been this engine of discrimination against white men, I have to say it hasn’t really been doing a very good job at achieving that,” Glasgow remarked.

Jenny Yang, a former EEOC chair now with law firm Outten & Golden, called Lucas’s approach “unusual” and “problematic,” suggesting it implies preferential treatment for a specific demographic group.

“It suggests some sort of priority treatment,” Yang said. “That’s not something that sounds to me like equal opportunity for all.” She contrasted this approach with the agency’s reported deprioritization of discrimination complaints from transgender workers.

Yang expressed concern about the message being sent by the agency’s current direction. “It worries me that a message is being sent that the EEOC only cares about some workers and not others,” she said, noting that while the agency must prioritize cases due to limited resources, treating charges differently based on workers’ identities contradicts its fundamental mission.