Trump Sued for Firing Most of the Black Officials in Government
A former black federal employee is pursue the Trump administration, claiming he was fired because of his race.
Alvin Brown, a Democratic member of the National Transportation Safety Board appointed by President Biden, was removed from his position in May 2025. trialFiled Tuesday in the U.S. District Court, Brown said political differences could not be the primary reason for his dismissal from the NTSB. Brown’s lawyers, who work for the Democracy Forward Foundation, also say that 75% of black managers at independent agencies have been fired under Trump.
“Mr. Brown’s removal from the NTSB cannot be explained by the fact that Mr. Brown is a Democrat and President Trump might have wanted to exercise Republican control over the Board,” the lawsuit states. “At the time of Mr. Brown’s removal from the NTSB, two other Democrats were on the board.”
Since Brown’s firing was racially motivated, the lawsuit says, it therefore “violated Mr. Brown’s constitutional rights under the Fifth Amendment,” the lawsuit says. The lawsuit also points out that people of color are being laid off at agencies including the National Labor Relations BoardEqual Employment Opportunity Commission, Federal ReserveAnd Library of Congress.
The lawsuit cited Trump’s attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and the fact that Brown’s replacement, John DeLeeuw, is white.
“President Trump impeached Black Senate appointees; he either appointed a non-Black person to replace them or did not formally replace them at all,” the lawsuit says. “This trend is part of President Trump’s consistent message criticizing diversity and inclusion and his clear, demonstrable emphasis. »
