A federal judge in Texas on May 15 vacated portions of the Biden-era enforcement guidance on workplace harassment that pertained to gender-based discrimination.
The decision stemmed from a lawsuit filed in August 2024 by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and the Heritage Foundation, which sought to prevent the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from enforcing guidelines that require employers to use preferred pronouns and eliminate sex-specific workplace dress codes.
In a 34-page ruling, Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk stated that the EEOC overstepped its authority when it issued an enforcement guidance to employers that contravenes the plain text of Title VII, citing the guidance’s definition of “sex” that expanded beyond “biological binary.”…