A pattern of discrimination alleged by Black men fired from key transportation boards under Trump

Two Black men who were removed from key transportation oversight boards by President Donald Trump have accused the administration of engaging in discriminatory practices that target Black officials. Robert Primus, formerly on the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB), and Alvin Brown, previously serving on the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said their dismissals are part of a broader pattern of removing Black leaders from federal agencies.

Both men were the only Black members on their respective boards when they were firedPrimus in August and Brown in May of this year. They had already filed lawsuits contesting their terminations, claiming the White House lacked the legally required justification. Democracy Forward has now filed additional discrimination claims on their behalf.

The pattern is undeniable: Black commissioners across federal agencies have been summarily removed, said Brown, who had been Vice Chairman of the NTSB. My dismissal was not only unlawful but discriminatory.

The White House has not issued a statement in response to the new legal claims but previously maintained that Trump had the legal authority to remove both Primus and Brown. While no formal response has been filed for Primus lawsuit, the administration has asked a judge to dismiss Browns case, arguing that statutory protections limiting board members removals to for cause grounds are unconstitutional, asserting presidential discretion in executive agency appointments.

Experts noted that firing an NTSB member is highly unusual. The agency is responsible for investigating accidents across all transportation modes and providing safety recommendations. Currently, the NTSB is probing roughly 1,250 incidents, including a January collision between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people.

Primus removal from the STB came shortly after Union Pacific announced its $85 billion bid to acquire Norfolk Southern, a deal under review by the five-member board. Primus had opposed Canadian Pacifics acquisition of Kansas City Southern in 2023 due to competition concerns. Trump has publicly expressed support for the Union Pacific deal. By law, no more than three members of each board can belong to the same political party; both Primus and Brown are Democrats. Primus had been appointed by Trump during his first term, later became chairman under President Biden, and served until Trump returned to office and promoted Patrick Fuchs to chair.

Primus attorneys highlighted that another Democratic STB member remained in position, while Brown was dismissed from the NTSB despite having a term scheduled through 2026. A white Democratic member of the NTSB continued serving past their terms end in 2023, while Trump appointed a white successor to replace Brown.

The lawsuits argue these actions reflect a pattern of hostility toward people of color in government roles, pointing to Trumps past statements and hiring practices emphasizing white candidates. Trump has also removed members from other independent agencies, including the Federal Reserve, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The Senate Commerce Committee is expected to review nominations for replacements for both Primus and Brown in the coming week.

Author: Zoe Harrison