Kenneth Wolfe Named OFCCP Director Amid Scrutiny Over DOL Faith Initiatives
Kenneth Wolfe was appointed Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs in March 2026.
Why it matters: Wolfe's appointment to OFCCP, which enforces anti-discrimination for federal contractors, comes as legal challenges question DOL's recent faith-based practices. Corporate counsel and compliance teams should monitor potential changes in enforcement priorities and religious accommodation guidelines.
- Kenneth Wolfe became OFCCP Director in March 2026 after leading DOL's Center for Faith.
- OFCCP enforces equal employment laws at thousands of federal contractors and subcontractors.
- Americans United for Separation of Church and State sued DOL and DOD over recent agency prayer events and access to information.
- Wolfe has over 30 years of federal service, including 23 years at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Kenneth Wolfe was appointed in March 2026 as Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), the Department of Labor division tasked with enforcing equal employment opportunity and affirmative action requirements for federal contractors.
- OFCCP oversees compliance with anti-discrimination statutes including Executive Order 11246, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act across entities doing business with the federal government. Learn more about OFCCP’s mandate.
- Before OFCCP, Wolfe led the newly created Center for Faith at DOL, where he organized the agency’s first employee prayer event in December 2025.
- That event, which included invited faith leaders and religious messaging, drew internal objections and external legal scrutiny.
On March 23, 2026, Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed lawsuits against the Labor and Defense Departments, alleging non-responsiveness to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and constitutional concerns regarding agency sponsorship of prayer services. Rachel Laser, president of the group, asserted, “The federal government’s role is to serve the public, not to proselytize.”
Wolfe’s background includes three decades in federal service, chiefly at the Department of Health and Human Services. His selection signals continuity in DOL leadership but places increased focus on the department's legal obligations regarding both civil rights enforcement and religious accommodation.
Counsel for federal contractors should assess current compliance programs for alignment with evolving OFCCP enforcement perspectives and closely track legal outcomes of ongoing litigation over agency conduct.
By the numbers:
- 23 years — Wolfe’s tenure at the Department of Health and Human Services before joining DOL
- March 2026 — Month Wolfe was named OFCCP Director
- 2 — Federal departments (Labor, Defense) sued by Americans United over prayer events
Yes, but: OFCCP has not publicly commented on whether its enforcement priorities or guidance will change under Wolfe’s leadership.
What's next: Legal proceedings by Americans United for Separation of Church and State are ongoing, with FOIA disclosures and constitutional determinations pending.