In a continuing battle over federal workplace protections, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has once again taken legal action against the Biden administration. On Thursday, Paxton filed a lawsuit in federal court targeting the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Justice Department (DOJ), challenging agency guidelines that define harassment under federal law. The lawsuit seeks a permanent block on these guidelines, which Paxton argues are unlawful.

The EEOC guidelines, while not legally binding, assert that denying accommodations based on gender identity, intentionally misgendering transgender workers, or denying them access to appropriate restroom facilities constitutes workplace harassment. Paxton, alongside the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, strongly disagrees with these guidelines, stating in the lawsuit that "the opposite is true."

In a statement, Paxton accused the Biden-Harris administration of attempting to rewrite federal law through undemocratic and illegal agency actions. He further added, "This time, they are unlawfully weaponizing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in an attempt to force private businesses and states to implement 'transgender' mandates—and Texas is suing to stop them."

The lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of Texas's Amarillo Division, where U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a former appointee of President Trump, presides over the majority of cases. Last month, Kacsmaryk denied Paxton's request to block a previous version of the EEOC guidance, ruling that a new complaint needed to be filed.

When approached for comment, the EEOC declined and directed inquiries to the DOJ, which has yet to respond.

Paxton has been no stranger to legal battles against progressive policies that expand protections for LGBTQ individuals. Since President Biden's inauguration in 2021, Paxton has filed numerous lawsuits against the administration, with the majority of them being heard by Judge Kacsmaryk, as reported by the Texas Tribune in May.

This lawsuit is just the latest episode in the ongoing conflict between Texas and the Biden administration over transgender rights and workplace equality. As the legal battle unfolds, stakeholders on both sides anxiously await the outcome and the potential implications it could have on transgender employees across the country.