(LifeSiteNews) — The Trump administration has opened an investigation into whether sportswear giant Nike’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies constitute discrimination against white employees.
Last week, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced it was seeking a court order to force the company to produce information pertaining to allegations, some dating as far back as 2018, that it conducted “a pattern or practice of disparate treatment against white employees, applicants and training program participants in hiring, promotion, demotion, or separation decisions, including selection for layoffs; internship programs; and mentoring, leadership development and other career development programs.”
Specifically, the agency wants material, which the company has refused to voluntarily share, pertaining to Nike’s criteria for which employees to let go for layoffs, executive compensation, how race and ethnicity data is tracked and used for such decisions, and more than a dozen programs suspected of “race-restricted mentoring, leadership, or career development opportunities.”
“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,” said EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas. “Title VII’s prohibition of race-based employment discrimination is colorblind and requires the EEOC to protect employees of all races from unlawful employment practices. Thanks to President Trump’s commitment to enforcing our nation’s civil rights laws, the EEOC has renewed its focus on evenhanded enforcement of Title VII.”
In response, Nike told ABC News the move “feels like a surprising and unusual escalation,” because “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. 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.”
“We believe our programs and practices are consistent with those obligations and take these matters seriously,” the brand added. “We will continue our attempt to cooperate with the EEOC and will respond to the petition.”
Writing for the Washington Stand, Sarah Holliday adds that “Nike’s reluctance to disentangle from suppliers linked to Uyghur forced labor — despite widespread reports of exploitation in Chinese cotton fields and factories — has drawn bipartisan condemnation, highlighting a hypocrisy in a company that preaches human rights while profiting from alleged abuses. Now, layering on the anti-white discrimination claims, the narrative thickens: Is Nike’s pursuit of diversity inadvertently — or intentionally — creating new forms of exclusion? The allegations seem to suggest so.”
If true, the discrimination would not be Nike’s first foray into radical-left politics. Last year, LifeSiteNews reported on Harvard Professor Kathryn Ackerman letting slip that “we got some money from Nike” for a transgender activist’s study on puberty blockers for minors and how they impact athletic performance. Nike did not publicly acknowledge support for the study, despite openly declaring its “commitment to helping shape a strong culture of [so-called] LGBTQIA+ belonging and visibility in sport.” It has also sponsored “queer youth” field trips, and was one of many corporations that attempted to force employees to undergo COVID-19 shots.