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Labor Secretary Faces Civil Rights Complaints From Department Staff
Three employees described a hostile work environment under Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
Civil rights complaints against Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer were filed in recent weeks by three women who worked in the secretary’s executive office.Credit...Al Drago for The New York Times
By Rebecca Davis O’Brien
April 9, 2026
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is the subject of three civil rights complaints inside her agency, people familiar with the filings said, adding to the pressures on an embattled member of President Trump’s cabinet.
The complaints were filed in recent weeks by three women who have worked at the top of the Labor Department, including in the secretary’s executive office. They contain a range of allegations and, taken together, describe a hostile work environment under Ms. Chavez-DeRemer, including claims of sexual harassment by her husband, retaliation for taking part in an official investigation and abuse of official resources.
Separately, all three of the women have been interviewed by the department’s inspector general’s office as part of a wide-ranging fraud and misconduct investigation into Ms. Chavez-DeRemer and her top aides. The investigation is in its final weeks, people briefed on the matter said.
A lawyer representing Ms. Chavez-DeRemer in the inspector general’s investigation did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ... The White House has been briefed about the complaints, a person familiar with the matter said. A spokeswoman for the Labor Department did not immediately provide a comment.
{snip}
A correction was made on April 9, 2026: An earlier version of this article misstated the circumstances of Melissa Robey’s departure from the Labor Department. She was fired, not forced to resign.
When we learn of a mistake, we acknowledge it with a correction. If you spot an error, please let us know at corrections@nytimes.com.Learn more
Rebecca Davis O’Brien covers labor and the work force for The Times.
Three employees described a hostile work environment under Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
Civil rights complaints against Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer were filed in recent weeks by three women who worked in the secretary’s executive office.Credit...Al Drago for The New York Times
By Rebecca Davis O’Brien
April 9, 2026
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is the subject of three civil rights complaints inside her agency, people familiar with the filings said, adding to the pressures on an embattled member of President Trump’s cabinet.
The complaints were filed in recent weeks by three women who have worked at the top of the Labor Department, including in the secretary’s executive office. They contain a range of allegations and, taken together, describe a hostile work environment under Ms. Chavez-DeRemer, including claims of sexual harassment by her husband, retaliation for taking part in an official investigation and abuse of official resources.
Separately, all three of the women have been interviewed by the department’s inspector general’s office as part of a wide-ranging fraud and misconduct investigation into Ms. Chavez-DeRemer and her top aides. The investigation is in its final weeks, people briefed on the matter said.
A lawyer representing Ms. Chavez-DeRemer in the inspector general’s investigation did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ... The White House has been briefed about the complaints, a person familiar with the matter said. A spokeswoman for the Labor Department did not immediately provide a comment.
{snip}
A correction was made on April 9, 2026: An earlier version of this article misstated the circumstances of Melissa Robey’s departure from the Labor Department. She was fired, not forced to resign.
When we learn of a mistake, we acknowledge it with a correction. If you spot an error, please let us know at corrections@nytimes.com.Learn more
Rebecca Davis O’Brien covers labor and the work force for The Times.
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