The chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued a public call on social media, specifically urging white men who believe they have faced race or sex discrimination at work to contact the agency. This move has ignited a fierce debate about the direction of civil rights enforcement and the definition of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
A Targeted Call for Claims
In a post on the platform X on Wednesday evening, December 17, 2025, EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas directly addressed white male workers. "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," Lucas wrote, accompanying her message with a video. The post, viewed millions of times, directed eligible individuals to reach out "as soon as possible" and referenced the agency's fact sheet on DEI-related discrimination.
Lucas, a noted critic of many corporate DEI programs, amplified her stance just hours after Vice President JD Vance shared an article condemning what he called "the evil of DEI." Lucas responded to Vance, asserting that "widespread, systemic, unlawful discrimination primarily harmed white men" and that elites had "celebrated it." She vowed the EEOC "won't rest until this discrimination is eliminated."
Shifting Agency Focus Under Trump Administration
This public outreach marks a significant shift in priority for the federal agency tasked with enforcing workplace civil rights. Since being elevated to acting chair in January 2025 and later named chair by President Donald Trump in November, Lucas has redirected the EEOC's focus toward "rooting out unlawful DEI-motivated race and sex discrimination." This aligns with President Trump's own executive orders targeting DEI programs.
Earlier in 2025, the EEOC and the Department of Justice issued guidance documents outlining what might constitute DEI-related discrimination at work. These documents broadly scrutinized common workplace practices—including training sessions, employee resource groups, and fellowship programs—warning they could potentially violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 if not carefully structured. Former agency commissioners have criticized these documents as misleading.
Critics Point to "Fundamental Misunderstanding" of DEI
The chair's targeted message has drawn sharp criticism from experts and former officials. David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at NYU School of Law, said Lucas's posts show a "fundamental misunderstanding of what DEI is."
"It's really much more about creating a culture in which you get the most out of everyone... where everyone experiences fairness and equal opportunity, including white men and members of other groups," Glasgow stated. He also pointed to a lack of systematic evidence for widespread discrimination against white men, noting their overrepresentation in senior leadership roles, Fortune 500 CEO positions, and Congress.
Jenny Yang, a former EEOC chair now in private practice, called it "unusual" and "problematic" for the agency head to single out a specific demographic for enforcement. "It suggests some sort of priority treatment. That's not something that sounds to me like equal opportunity for all," Yang said. She expressed concern that the EEOC's limited resources are being allocated based on identity, contrary to its mission, and noted that discrimination complaints from transgender workers have been deprioritized.
In response to the criticism, Lucas stated on Thursday that "the gaslighting surrounding what DEI initiatives have entailed in practice ends now," emphasizing that Title VII "protects everyone, including white men." The debate underscores a deep national division over how to achieve equality in the American workplace.
