Trump Administration Says It Is Investigating Nike for Possible DEI-Connected Discrimination Against White Employees

The Trump administration is going after Nike, saying it is investigating the company for possible DEI-connected discrimination against white employees via its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says it has an ongoing investigation into the sportswear and shoe company.According to a court filing in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, the agency is investigating whether Nike engaged in “a pattern or practice of disparate treatment against white employees, applicants and training program participants.” The possible discrimination spanned hiring, promotion, demotion, or separation decisions, including selections for layoffs.The commission says it filed the suit after first attempting to obtain voluntary compliance with its investigative requests. The commission says Nike has failed to comply with a subpoena seeking information related to the allegations. The agency’s court filing includes requests for information dating back as far as 2018.“When there are compelling indications, including corporate admissions in extensive public materials, that an employer’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-related programs may violate federal prohibitions against race discrimination or other forms of unlawful discrimination, the EEOC will take all necessary steps — including subpoena enforcement actions — to ensure the opportunity to fully and comprehensively investigate,” the chairwoman of the commission, Andrea Lucas, said in a statement.Nike disputes that characterization, with a representative calling the filing a “surprising and unusual escalation.”“We have had extensive, good-faith participation in an EEOC inquiry into our personnel practices, programs, and decisions and have had ongoing efforts to provide information and engage constructively with the agency,” the company said in an emailed statement to The New York Sun. “We have shared thousands of pages of information and detailed written responses to the EEOC’s inquiry and are in the process of providing additional information.”President Trump signed an executive order last year eliminating DEI programs in the federal government and has pressured private companies to follow suit. Target, Walmart, and McDonald’s are among some of the big names that have scaled back or ended their own DEI programs in response.Nike has continued its own program, however. A dedicated page on the company’s website highlights its commitment to DEI. “Bringing NIKE’s mission to life starts with our people and creating a workforce that represents different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives,” the company boasts.The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability.

Trump Administration Says It Is Investigating Nike for Possible DEI-Connected Discrimination Against White Employees

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