A former college student who was accused of rape and later cleared his name has landed a high-profile job at the federal agency tasked with defending workers against workplace discrimination, including sex discrimination.
Benjamin North, 32, sued Catholic University after he was suspended over the allegation. He claimed that the university had violated its policies as well as Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination in federally funded education. North maintained his innocence throughout the lawsuit and eventually settled with the university for an undisclosed amount.
Now, North is serving as the assistant general counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). This appointment has raised eyebrows among some who are concerned about the agency's priorities and values. The EEOC chair, Andrea Lucas, has been actively seeking out employees who share her views on issues such as sex and gender identity.
Lucas has also emphasized the importance of defending biological and binary reality of sex and related rights. This stance is seen as a departure from the agency's previous focus on addressing workplace discrimination against transgender workers and in cases of disparate impact racial discrimination.
Critics argue that North's appointment sends a concerning signal to employees who have experienced sexual harassment or assault at work, suggesting that the EEOC may not take their claims seriously. The hiring process has been criticized as being overly politicized, with some accusing Lucas of prioritizing her own personal priorities over the agency's core mission.
North's role could be significant given the recent exodus of attorneys from the agency and the office of the general counsel under the second Trump administration. He will now have a huge impact on the cases that the EEOC chooses to bring, which has raised concerns about the agency's ability to enforce protections against workplace discrimination effectively.
The Intercept has reported extensively on the challenges faced by democracy in recent years, including the erosion of press freedom and the rise of authoritarianism. The agency's hiring practices are seen as part of this broader trend, with some critics arguing that they reflect a desire to reshape the EEOC into an instrument for advancing conservative ideology.
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Benjamin North, 32, sued Catholic University after he was suspended over the allegation. He claimed that the university had violated its policies as well as Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination in federally funded education. North maintained his innocence throughout the lawsuit and eventually settled with the university for an undisclosed amount.
Now, North is serving as the assistant general counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). This appointment has raised eyebrows among some who are concerned about the agency's priorities and values. The EEOC chair, Andrea Lucas, has been actively seeking out employees who share her views on issues such as sex and gender identity.
Lucas has also emphasized the importance of defending biological and binary reality of sex and related rights. This stance is seen as a departure from the agency's previous focus on addressing workplace discrimination against transgender workers and in cases of disparate impact racial discrimination.
Critics argue that North's appointment sends a concerning signal to employees who have experienced sexual harassment or assault at work, suggesting that the EEOC may not take their claims seriously. The hiring process has been criticized as being overly politicized, with some accusing Lucas of prioritizing her own personal priorities over the agency's core mission.
North's role could be significant given the recent exodus of attorneys from the agency and the office of the general counsel under the second Trump administration. He will now have a huge impact on the cases that the EEOC chooses to bring, which has raised concerns about the agency's ability to enforce protections against workplace discrimination effectively.
The Intercept has reported extensively on the challenges faced by democracy in recent years, including the erosion of press freedom and the rise of authoritarianism. The agency's hiring practices are seen as part of this broader trend, with some critics arguing that they reflect a desire to reshape the EEOC into an instrument for advancing conservative ideology.
In order to continue its mission to defend workers' rights, the Intercept needs your support. Will you help us expand our reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026?
I'm genuinely confused about this whole situation. On one hand, Benjamin North was wrongfully accused and had his name cleared, so you've got to give him some credit for fighting back and getting a sweet job out of it. But on the other hand, his new role at the EEOC has everyone worried that he's gonna be all about defending "biological reality" and whatnot... doesn't that kinda go against the whole point of the agency? 
It feels like they're sending mixed signals or trying to rewrite some of the agency's policies, which could affect people who've actually been discriminated against. I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not. Can someone explain it to me in simpler terms? 
! North's appointment is like, super concerning. I mean, if he's gonna be pushing for 'biological and binary reality' and all that... what does that even mean for people who've been silenced or marginalized at work? It feels like we're taking two steps back on the progress we made with Title IX 
. And can we talk about how politicized this whole thing is? Lucas seems to be more interested in her own agenda than actually fighting for workers' rights 
. The EEOC needs people who are gonna take a stand against all kinds of discrimination, not just the ones that fit a certain mold 
. This feels like a major setback for equality and fairness 
And what really gets my goat is that the agency used to be super focused on protecting trans workers & people of color, but it sounds like they're pivoting towards this whole "biological reality" thing 
It's like, can't we just make sure everyone has access to a safe workplace no matter what? 
I'd love to see more discussion about this and how it'll impact actual workers 
and it's not just the fact that he was cleared, but also the whole tone of his new role sounds super problematic to me 
i mean Andrea Lucas seems cool and all, but prioritizing "biological reality" over transgender workers? that's some next level gaslighting right there 
like the EEOC is being used for some kinda politicized agenda and it's just not right 
, i mean have u seen who they hired as assistant general counsel at the EEOC? benjamin north, a guy who was accused of rape and later cleared his name, and now he's working there to defend workers against workplace discrimination... it's like the universe is trying to tell us something. what if this is part of some bigger agenda to control the narrative on sex and gender identity? i mean, lucas seems super into defending biological reality, but what about all the other issues that are important too? it feels like they're playing both sides against each other. and don't even get me started on the whole politicization thing... it's like they're trying to cram their own ideology down our throats. i'm not saying there's a cover-up or anything, but something just doesn't add up here