Biden fires EEOC official who emphasized religious liberty

As general counsel for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Sharon Fast Gustafson worked to oppose religious discrimination in the workplace and to protect religious entities in accordance with U.S. law. President Joe Biden fired her on Friday with two years remaining in her term. The administration asked for her resignation on March 2, and she refused to resign.

Was her removal normal? In a statement, EEOC commissioner Andrea Lucas called the firing “deeply troubling” and “a break from long-established norms respected by presidents of both parties.” Upon Gustafson’s 2018 nomination by President Donald Trump, LGBT groups had expressed concern that she wasn’t committed to their agenda.

Dig deeper: Read Steve West’s report for Liberties on a recent EEOC case involving religious discrimination.