Tennessee led a multi-state lawsuit against the federal government Monday, with eighteen attorneys general suing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) over its new workplace guidance regarding gender identity and pronouns.
LAWSUIT: Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Is leading 18 states in a lawsuit against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) over new sexual harassment guidance. https://t.co/3vdJV5kLl1
— Local 3 News (@Local3News) May 15, 2024
The legal challenge claims the EEOC unlawfully expanded Title VII’s prohibition on sex discrimination. Under the contested rules, employers risk liability for using incorrect names or pronouns or limiting bathroom access based on biological sex instead of gender identity.
Tennessee attorney general Jonathan Skrmetti called the EEOC’s new guidance ‘an attack on our constitutional separation of powers.’ .. https://t.co/QlAXt8Nq0r pic.twitter.com/OZyutorehV
— JPNWMN (@JPNWMN) May 14, 2024
“This end-run around our constitutional institutions misuses federal power,” alleged Tennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti (R). He accused the EEOC of improperly redefining workplace bias protections without new laws from Congress. The suit seeks to block the guidance’s enforcement.
Group of 18 AGs sue EEOC alleging 'unlawful' attack on employers with new gender identity guidance
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti says the new guidance is an attack on the "separation of powers" under the U.S. Constitution.
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Several Republican-led states joined the lawsuit asserting the EEOC exceeded its authority by reinterpreting Title VII’s scope. They argue pronoun usage policies and bathroom access rules should remain employer decisions absent legislative changes.
