An EEOC charge, a notice connected with a charge, and a lawsuit are different steps and do not mean the same thing.
EEOC charge
An EEOC charge is an allegation of employment discrimination submitted to the agency. The EEOC explains its charge-filing process on its official Filing a Charge of Discrimination page. Filing a charge does not decide the facts or guarantee a lawsuit.
Right-to-sue notice
A right-to-sue notice is connected to the administrative process. It is not a ruling that a person should win, and it does not replace the need to understand the rule, court, facts, and time limits that may apply to an individual situation.
Lawsuit
A lawsuit is a separate court proceeding. Not every charge becomes a lawsuit, and a charge statistic does not reveal what happened in a later court case. Readers should use current official guidance rather than trying to infer an outcome from a data table.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-30. This page is general educational information. Read our Important Disclaimer.
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