Former Transportation Safety Board & Surface Transportation Board Members Allege racial Discrimination in Lawsuits Against Trump-Vance Governance
WASHINGTON,D.C. – Two former chairmen of self-reliant federal boards have filed amended lawsuits alleging their removals from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Surface Transportation Board (STB) were motivated, at least in part, by racial discrimination. Alvin Brown, former Vice Chairman of the NTSB, and Robert Primus, former Chairman and Member of the STB, are pursuing legal action against the Trump-Vance administration, claiming their abrupt dismissals were part of a broader pattern of targeting Black officials.
The filings, brought with the support of Democracy Forward and Justice Legal Strategies, allege a disturbing trend of “summarily fir[ing] black commissioners across the federal government.” Brown’s filing is in the case Brown v. Trump,while Primus amended his complaint in Primus v. Trump.
“When you look at who has been removed without cause, and who has been left in place, the pattern is impossible to ignore: Black commissioners across the federal government have been summarily fired,” stated Brown. “My abrupt removal was unlawful, and it was discriminatory. I’m taking this step to ensure that what happened to me does not happen in the shadows.”
Primus echoed these concerns, stating, “I was removed abruptly, without cause, and without any lawful justification. It’s clear that my removal fits a larger pattern within this administration of targeting Black officials. These legal actions ensure that the full truth is before the court and that federal agencies remain protected from racial and political interference.”
Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward, condemned the alleged actions, saying, ”the court documents we have filed today reveal a disturbing reality: the Trump-Vance administration has engaged in aggressive efforts to remove Black leaders. Racial discrimination is wrong and has no place in independent agencies that exist to serve people of all races.Democracy Forward is honored to represent Mr. Brown and Mr. Primus as they seek accountability and defend equal protection.”
The legal team representing Brown and Primus includes Cynthia Liao, Ross Snyder, Elena Goldstein, and Catherine Carroll.
Interested parties can read Mr. Brown’s amended complaint hear and Mr. Primus’s amended complaint here. Further details on both cases is available at Democracy Forward’s website.
