A Mainer is part of a group of former federal employees leading a class action lawsuit against the Trump administration. The group says the employees were unlawfully fired because the Trump administration believed they were involved in diversity, equity and inclusion work.
The plaintiffs leading the lawsuit include Mahri Stáinnak, a southern Maine resident, who said they were fired from their job at the Office of Personnel Management.
The lawsuit alleges that the actions violate the federal employees' rights under the First Amendment. The plaintiffs also say the firings disproportionately targeted federal workers who are Black, women, and non-binary, and people who the administration perceived as advocating for protected racial or gender groups.
Stáinnak appealed their firing to a federal administrative board earlier this year, but the claim has not been resolved.
Now, the group has filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington, D.C. They're seeking a court order reinstating them to their jobs, and reimbursement for lost wages and damages.
