Eleventh Circuit Refuses To Enforce EEOC’s Broad Subpoena

As we noted in our EEOC Fiscal Year 2014 Scorecard, the EEOC has been steadily increasing its use of its subpoena power to gather as much information as possible from employers prior to filing suit. In fact, in FY 2014, the EEOC prosecuted 24 subpoena actions versus the 17 that were filed in 2013.

 

FY 2015 has started out with a big win for employers fending off overly broad and unduly burdensome EEOC administrative subpoenas. In EEOC v. Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., No. 13-13519 (11th Cir. Nov. 6, 2014), the Eleventh Circuit Court upheld a decision of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida refusing to enforce an administrative subpoena served by the EEOC on grounds that the information sought was not relevant to the individual charge the EEOC was investigating and because compliance with the subpoena would be unduly burdensome. Id. at 4.

 

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