Labor Secretary Chavez-DeRemer faces federal civil rights complaints filed by female agency staffers

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is facing three complaints against her filed by three female staffers to the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, in the fallout of allegations of sexual misconduct against inside agency headquarters by the secretary's husband. 

Two of the complaints were filed by female staffers who alleged that Chavez-DeRemer's husband, Dr. Shawn DeRemer, sexually abused them inside the Labor Department headquarters in Washington, D.C. 

The complaints to the commission, which enforces federal law against discrimination against employees, allege Chavez-DeRemer retaliated against the employees for reporting such allegations against the Trump cabinet member's husband, The New York Post reported. 

The District of Columbia U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to charge Chavez-DeRemer’s husband in relation to the December 2025 sexual misconduct allegations. 

The third complaint alleges Chavez-DeRemer made staffers do personal chores for her, including cleaning out her closets. 

The allegations follow other allegations against Chavez-DeRemer, including claims she and senior aides fostered a "hostile" work environment. 

The three women have also been interviewed by the department’s inspector general’s office as part of a wide-ranging fraud and misconduct investigation into Ms. Chavez-DeRemer and her top aides, according to The New York Times, which also reports the three women who filed the complaints have worked at the top of level of the agency. 

An agency spokesperson did not respond to the newspaper's request for comment.