3 | EEOC-INITIATED LITIGATION: 2026 EDITION ©2026 Seyfarth Shaw LLP Under Chair Lucas, this trend changed, though perhaps not in the way expected. For FY 2026, the Commission actually scaled back its budget request to $435 million. This reduced number signals that the Commission will look to slash programs and headcount under President Trump’s second administration and new EEOC leadership. C. EEOC Profiles Kalpana Kotagal (Commissioner, Democrat) Kalpana Kotagal joined the EEOC on August 9, 2023, and her term expires July 1, 2027. Before joining the Commission, she was in private practice, focusing on litigating worker-side civil rights issues. She is a co-author of the “Inclusion Rider” – a voluntary agreement between actors, filmmakers and studios aimed at advancing equal opportunity in the film industry both behind the camera and in front of it. Brittany Bull Panuccio (Commissioner, Republican) Brittany Bull Panuccio joined the EEOC as Commissioner on October 27, 2025, and her term expires July 1, 2029. Before joining the EEOC, she served in various roles within the federal government, including Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. During the first Trump Administration, Commissioner Panuccio served as Attorney Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education, followed by Special Counselor in the Office of the General Counsel. Further, Commissioner Panuccio detailed to the U.S. Department of Justice to assist with the confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and clerked for the Honorable Neomi Rao of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and Hon. Don R. Willett of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Commissioner Panuccio also worked in private practice, focusing on Title VII, NLRA, FLSA, and defamation/ contract matters. Andrea R. Lucas (Chair, Republican) Andrea R. Lucas joined the EEOC as Commissioner in 2020 and was designated Acting Chair by President Trump on December 20, 2025. She was re-nominated for another term and confirmed by the Senate on July 31, 2025 for a term expiring July 1, 2030. On November 6, 2025, she was designated Chair of the EEOC. Prior to her appointment to the EEOC, Chair Lucas practiced management‑side employment law at a large Washington, D.C. law firm. She continues to garner media coverage for her cautionary advice to employers regarding their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. She is also known for emphasizing issues relating to religious discrimination, accommodation, and inclusion; accommodations for pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions; and disability accommodation.
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