Transgender NSA Data Scientist Sues Trump Administration Over Executive Order Denying Gender Identity

Sarah O’Neill, an openly transgender woman and data scientist employed by the National Security Agency , filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Trump administration on December 22, 2025, in the U.S. District Court in Maryland. The complaint alleges that President Donald Trump’s executive order, signed on Inauguration Day, violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by denying the existence of gender identity and imposing policies that discriminate against transgender people in federal workplaces.

The executive order declares it to be “the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.” It characterizes gender identity differing from sex assigned at birth as “gender ideology,” rejecting its validity outright. This directive has prompted changes in government operations, including updates to identification documents like passports to reflect only sex assigned at birth, threats to withhold funding from schools and shelters accommodating transgender people based on their gender identity, and placements of transgender inmates in facilities matching their birth sex regardless of safety concerns.

For O’Neill, these policies have directly altered her workplace environment at the NSA. The lawsuit states that the agency has revoked its prior recognition of her transgender identity, prohibiting her from using female pronouns in written communications and barring her from the women’s restroom. These restrictions, according to the suit, deprive her of a workplace free from unlawful harassment and create a hostile environment for transgender employees. O’Neill is seeking financial damages, restoration of her protections, and a court order to block enforcement of the executive order and related NSA policies.

Central to O’Neill’s case is the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, which ruled that discrimination against transgender people constitutes sex discrimination under Title VII. The Court stated: “It is impossible to discriminate against a person for being homosexual or transgender without discriminating against that individual based on sex.” The lawsuit argues that the Trump administration’s executive order cannot supersede this statutory protection clarified by the judiciary, as it directly conflicts with congressional intent and judicial interpretation.

The complaint emphasizes that the executive order is not a neutral policy but one that explicitly targets transgender people by erasing their gender identities in official capacities. “The Executive Order rejects the existence of gender identity altogether, let alone the possibility that someone’s gender identity can differ from their sex, which it characterizes as ‘gender ideology,’” the suit reads. This framing, O’Neill contends, undermines the civil rights of transgender federal employees and sets a precedent for broader discrimination.

O’Neill’s lawsuit arrives amid a series of executive actions by the Trump administration addressing gender policies across federal agencies. The order’s rapid implementation has affected not only NSA employees but also other transgender individuals in government roles, prompting concerns from advocacy groups about the safety and inclusion of transgender people in public service. Transgender employees, who have served in intelligence and defense roles for years, now face policies that question their professional identities and personal dignity.

LGBTQ+ organizations have highlighted the lawsuit as a critical test of whether executive actions can override Supreme Court protections for transgender workers. The case underscores ongoing tensions between administrative directives and established civil rights law, particularly for transgender people whose gender identities are affirmed by major medical bodies like the American Medical Association and World Professional Association for Transgender Health. While the suit focuses on federal employment, its outcome could influence policies in other sectors reliant on federal guidelines.

As the litigation proceeds, it draws attention to the lived experiences of transgender public servants like O’Neill, who balance high-stakes national security work with personal authenticity. The U.S. District Court in Maryland will determine if the executive order withstands scrutiny under Title VII, potentially shaping workplace rights for transgender people nationwide. No response from the Trump administration or NSA has been filed as of December 26, 2025.