Worker alleges conspiracy to strip remote work rights and force out DEI employees
A federal employee's lawsuit claiming Elon Musk orchestrated an effort to eliminate remote work for disabled workers hit a procedural wall this week.
Fenyang Ajamu Stewart never got his day in court. The Equal Employment Specialist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture filed a sweeping complaint alleging that Musk and senior agency officials conspired to strip away his remote work arrangement and force him out of his civil rights job. But in a decision issued February 11, a federal judge in Washington dismissed the entire case without ever weighing whether the allegations were true.
The reason? Stewart skipped some crucial steps required before federal employees can sue their agencies.
Stewart has worked from home since 2022 as an accommodation for post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and back pain. In his role at the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, he adjudicates civil rights complaints. According to his complaint, everything changed after the Department of Government Efficiency was created.
Stewart alleged that Musk, USDA Secretary Brook Rollins, and other officials launched policies designed to eliminate remote work accommodations for disabled employees across the board. He claimed the push was fueled by what he described as Musk's documented animus against people with disabilities.
The complaint went further. Stewart alleged that agency officials also...
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