Karen Ortiz

Karen Ortiz is an American lawyer and judge who served as an administrative judge at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) New York District Office from 2018 to 2025. She adjudicated employment discrimination cases and gained attention in 2025 for publicly challenging EEOC leadership during the second presidency of Donald Trump over policies affecting LGBTQ+ cases, which ultimately resulted in her being fired from her position.

Early life and education Karen Ortiz was born to parents who moved from Puerto Rico to the U.S. mainland in the 1950s. She grew up in Garden City, New York. She has been a guest lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She adjudicated employment discrimination complaints from federal employees on the basis of gender, race, age, and religion. She was subsequently fired on June 24, 2025.

Personal life Ortiz appeared as herself in the off-off-Broadway comedy show Wack or Woke?.