EEOC says judge’s pause on federal class complaints was a mistake

A union and two female prison guards sued the EEOC, accusing it of indefinitely suspending their sexual-harassment class complaint and a broader freeze on federal-sector class actions. The suit cited a Dec. 10, 2025 order from an administrative judge that paused the case and purportedly applied to all such claims. EEOC chief operating officer Sharon Rose argued in a Thursday filing that the judge issued the notification in error and that it was an isolated incident.

The agency moved the case to another judge, who on Monday scheduled further hearings. Justice Department lawyer James Harlow sent a letter confirming the EEOC’s position and asking the plaintiffs to drop their preliminary injunction motion. Plaintiffs’ counsel, Joseph Sellers, contended the timing of recent scheduling orders shows a pattern of suspensions, not a lone mistake, and noted similar delays in at least five other federal class suits. The lawsuit was brought by the American Federation of Government Employees and the two correctional officers from the Federal Correctional Complex at Pollock, Louisiana.