President Biden nominated Alvin Brown to be Vice Chair of the NTSB. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and was appointed for a term expiring on December 31, 2026.
On May 6, 2025, the Trump-Vance administration abruptly removed Brown from his position without cause, even though the Independent Safety Board Act of 1974 states that a President may remove an NTSB board member only for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.”
His removal without cause undermines the statutory protections that ensure the NTSB operates independently from partisan interference.
On June 4, 2025, Democracy Forward filed a lawsuit on behalf of Brown, asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to declare his removal unlawful, block the NTSB from continuing to block him from performing his duties, and restore his access to the office and its resources. The case also seeks emergency relief to prevent further interference with Brown’s role.
On August 8, 2025, we filed a Motion for Summary Judgment arguing that (1) Brown’s removal violated the NTSB’s statute, which makes Board members removable only for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office”; and (2) the statute is constitutional.
In addition, we highlighted the importance of the NTSB and its impact on people in America. When planes fall out of the sky or bridges collapse, the public relies on the multimember, bipartisan NTSB to conduct vigorous investigations of accidents, write reports, and make safety recommendations to protect the public without fear or favor to the President or other agencies.
On December 4, 2025, Alvin Brown took legal action, amending his lawsuit to add race discrimination claims in challenging his removal by the Trump-Vance administration. This filing came as evidence demonstrated that the Trump-Vance administration has engaged in a broader pattern of disproportionately removing Black leaders from independent multimember agencies.
On December 5, the government filed a motion to stay the case pending a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Slaughter case. On December 29, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia denied in part and granted in part the government’s motion to stay. The court will allow the case to proceed on Mr. Brown’s discrimination claim.
Timeline
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Trump-Vance administration abruptly removed Brown from his position without cause
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Democracy Forward filed a lawsuit on behalf of Brown, asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to declare his removal unlawful
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Motion for Summary Judgment was filed
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The government filed a Cross Motion for Summary Judgment.
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We filed an amended complaint to add race discrimination claims in the challenge to Alvin Brown’s unlawful removal.
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The government filed a motion to stay the case.
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The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia denied in part and granted in part the government’s motion to stay pending the Slaughter decision.
