The Advocate reported EEOC investigators were directed to halt all transgender workplace discrimination investigations, defying Bostock ruling

On June 26, 2026, The Advocate published an email obtained from a federal EEOC investigator confirming that the agency had been directed to halt all investigations into transgender workplace discrimination. The investigator wrote to Flint Del Sol, an educator who had been pursuing a Title VII complaint for nearly three years against a Southern California school district: "We are not permitted to conduct/continue any investigation regarding transgender cases, and that is coming from the chain of command." Del Sol was told his case would be closed and a right-to-sue letter issued, forcing him to pursue his claims in federal court at his own expense within 90 days.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is the federal agency responsible for enforcing Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. In 2020, the Supreme Court held 6-3 in Bostock v. Clayton County that Title VII's prohibition on sex discrimination covers discrimination based on gender identity. Under EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas, appointed after Trump dismissed two Democratic commissioners before their terms expired, the agency had already rescinded Biden-era harassment guidance, routed gender identity complaints to headquarters for review, and moved to dismiss pending lawsuits on behalf of transgender workers. The June 2026 written directive marks the first time an EEOC investigator has confirmed in writing a blanket chain-of-command prohibition on pursuing any transgender discrimination investigation.

The EEOC told The Advocate it could "neither confirm nor deny" the existence of any charge or charge inquiry, citing federal confidentiality rules, and did not answer the publication's questions about how such a directive could be reconciled with Title VII and Bostock. Del Sol had filed his EEOC complaint in November 2023 after years of alleged discriminatory treatment tied to his gender transition and LGBTQ+ student advocacy, and had refiled in May 2024 to bring more claims within the statutory window. His case had been accepted and entered the investigation process before the directive closed it.