A transgender employee of the National Security Agency has filed a lawsuit challenging new federal policies on gender recognition.
The plaintiff, Sarah O’Neill, is an NSA data scientist who argues the measures violate federal civil rights law.
The legal action targets an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Inauguration Day.
The order requires the federal government to recognise only two “immutable” sexes in all official operations.
O’Neill filed the lawsuit in the US District Court in Maryland earlier this week.
The complaint argues the policy denies the legal existence of transgender people within government institutions.
O’Neill claims the executive order directly contradicts protections under Section VII of the Civil Rights Act.
In 2020, the US Supreme Court ruled that discrimination based on gender identity constitutes sex discrimination.
The lawsuit relies heavily on that precedent to support its claims.
O’Neill alleges that following the order, the NSA cancelled policies recognising her transgender identity.
The complaint says she lost protections guaranteeing a workplace free from unlawful harassment.
O’Neill also claims she was prohibited from identifying her pronouns as female in official communications.
She further alleges she was barred from using the women’s restroom at her workplace.
The lawsuit argues these measures created a hostile and discriminatory working environment.
The Executive Order rejects the existence of gender identity altogether.
The complaint states.
O’Neill contends the policy improperly frames gender identity as ideology rather than a protected status.
The suit seeks to restore workplace rights and protections previously in place.
O’Neill is also seeking financial damages related to the alleged discrimination.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The executive order was among several actions Trump signed shortly after returning to office.
Legal challenges to those early actions are now moving through the federal court system.