Washington University, a private research university in St. Louis, MO, is at the center of a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) lawsuit alleging that a Black employee was fired after objecting to the way employees were separated during a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, alleges that the medical school’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) placed the employee and her coworkers at the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center (SCC) into separate Zoom breakout rooms based on race, HR Dive reports. According to the EEOC, the employee later faced retaliation, including termination, after raising concerns about the training and filing a discrimination charge with the agency. The conduct allegedly violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title I of the Civil Rights Act of 1991.
“Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on protected characteristics such as race and sex,” per the EEOC’s website. “Different treatment based on race, sex, or another protected characteristic can be unlawful discrimination, no matter which employees are harmed. Title VII’s protections apply equally to all racial, ethnic, and national origin groups, as well as both sexes.”
Potential violations can include treating employees differently in the terms or conditions of employment; firing, limiting, segregating, or classifying employees based on protected characteristics in ways that affect employment opportunities; restricting participation in workplace groups; harassment; and retaliation.
How Washington University’s Alleged Actions Led To A DEI Lawsuit
According to the lawsuit, the employee learned in June 2024 that SCC’s administrative team would participate in training sessions titled “How Racism Harms” and “Anti-Racism Community Discussions,” per HR Dive. ODEI informed participants they would “spend time in shared racial identity spaces” and asked them to self-identify as either white or BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color).
The complainant selected BIPOC but emailed ODEI with concerns about how the activity would work given that she was the only BIPOC employee on her team. According to the lawsuit, she left those discussions understanding that she would participate in the training alongside the rest of the SCC team and that there would be no “shared racial identity spaces” activities. Months later, when the employee joined the training via Zoom, the session included the very breakout activity she had previously raised concerns about.
“Being the only Black person in the training, I was isolated and put in a position that felt profoundly alienating and cruel. It wasn’t just uncomfortable — it was dehumanizing,” the charging party said, per the lawsuit. “In 2025, in this political and social climate, the only Black/BIPOC person was literally and figuratively segregated and asked to leave the ‘room.’ It’s egregious.”
The complainant reminded ODEI that she had earlier raised concerns about the activity, which she later escalated internally. In June 2025, the university’s investigative body closed its investigation, reportedly without a formal resolution. The following month, the EEOC notified Washington University of the employee’s discrimination charge.
The EEOC’s website notes that individuals generally must first file a discrimination charge with the agency, which investigates the allegations before a lawsuit can proceed under Title VII.
After notifying her supervisors of the EEOC complaint, the employee said she noticed a shift in their behavior toward her, including reassigning some of her responsibilities to a coworker, per HR Dive.
According to court documents, her supervisor shared news of the university’s financial challenges and potential layoffs in October 2025. However, the supervisor said the SCC was in a more stable position with separate funding, adding, “I foresee no changes to our operations on the horizon. NO staffing changes, reductions or adjustments are even being considered, let alone planned, in our department.”
The lawsuit alleges that circumstances changed shortly after the employee returned from medical leave later that month. In November, her supervisors informed her of the elimination of her position because there wasn’t enough work, effective Dec. 1, 2025.
Court documents state that before filing her EEOC complaint, the employee had consistently received positive feedback about her performance. She had also completed a leadership development program, received a promotion to senior program manager, and taken on additional responsibilities.
HR Dive reported that it contacted Washington University for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication.
The EEOC’s Focus On DEI Under The Trump Administration
The EEOC has increased its focus on DEI-related workplace practices under the Trump administration, which has taken broader steps to dismantle DEI programs across the federal government and scrutinize their use in the private sector since it began in January 2025, as AFROTECH™ previously reported.
According to a May 2026 news release, the agency has worked to restore what it describes as “evenhanded enforcement” of federal employment civil rights laws, with its enforcement priorities emphasizing equal opportunity, merit, and “colorblind equality” in the workplace. While much of the EEOC’s enforcement activity remains confidential unless it results in a public settlement or lawsuit, the agency said its staff has been advancing the Trump administration’s civil rights agenda through investigations and enforcement actions nationwide.
“As these wins demonstrate, under the Trump Administration, we will not stand idle in the face of employer practices that erode the livelihoods, dignity, and fundamental rights of American workers,” said EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas. “The EEOC will move forward with unwavering resolve. This is our charge, and we will meet it — defending justice, protecting individual rights, and upholding the American promise of colorblind equality under the law.”
