CIVICS 101

Biden fires Trump official who refused to resign​

"At the end of the day you serve at the pleasure of the president," 

Matthew Chapman RAW STORY
March 06, 2021


President Joe Biden (AFP Photo/Jason Davis)

On Saturday, Mediaite reported that Sharon Gustafson, the Trump-appointed general counsel for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), refused to step down — so the Biden White House fired her.

"Bloomberg Law was first to report Gustafson's firing Friday, and shared the letter she wrote to Biden. She refuses Biden's request that she resign, noting that she was appointed to a four-year term," reported Marisa Sarnoff. "In her letter, Gustafson also accused the EEOC, under Biden, of undermining her work, saying that her reports on 'religious freedom' have been removed from the EEOC website. 'I can only assume that my resignation would be followed by similar suppression of our work promoting religious freedom,' Gustafson wrote."

Gustafson received national controversy after the EEOC sued the Kroger grocery store chain for having employees wear aprons with rainbow-colored hearts — which they deemed "religious discrimination" because an employee was upset at the apparent endorsement of LGBTQ rights.

"At the end of the day you serve at the pleasure of the president," said former EEOC general council David Lopez. "I think the norm that was violated was that she decided to stay. I've never heard of that happening before."