Federal Agency Seeks To Investigate Nike For Alleged Bias Against White Employees

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is seeking a court order for investigating systemic race discrimination allegations against white workers by footwear and apparel corporation Nike Inc., according to a Feb. 4 statement from the agency.

The EEOC filed an action in federal court to compel Nike, headquartered in Oregon, to produce information related to allegations that the company discriminated against white workers as part of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

According to the filing made by EEOC in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, the agency is looking to enforce an administrative subpoena against Nike for failing to submit the required information, which was initially requested in 2024 by then-commissioner, and now chair, Andrea Lucas.

Lucas alleged that Nike, since at least 2020, engaged in “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.”

EEOC is the sole federal agency that investigates and litigates against companies for violating federal law prohibiting employment discrimination.

In an emailed statement to The Epoch Times, a Nike spokesperson said that this was a “surprising and unusual escalation,” adding that the company had already shared thousands of pages of information with the EEOC, and written detailed responses to inquiries, and is in the process of providing additional information.

“We are committed to fair and lawful employment practices and follow all applicable laws, including those that prohibit discrimination,” the spokesperson said.

Diversity and Inclusion at Nike

According to the diversity, equity, and inclusion page on Nike’s website, the company drives “equitable experiences for all teammates across the employee lifecycle.”

In its fiscal year 2024 “Representation by the Numbers” document published online, Nike said women made up 50.3 percent of the global corporate workforce. As for racial representation, white employees made up 57 percent, with black employees making up 9 percent, Asian 18 percent, and Hispanic 8.8 percent.

Based on Bloomberg data, from 2020 to 2021, Nike showcased the largest amount of change against hiring white workers among large U.S. companies. While the numbers of black, Hispanic, and Asian people went up across the board, Nike let go of white workers, said the analysis.

Kismet Mills is currently Nike’s chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer. She assumed the post in 2024.

EEOC will take necessary steps to counter corporate DEI programs that seek to discriminate based on race, Lucas said.

“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,” said Lucas, who was hired by President Donald Trump to head the EEOC in November.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, and sex.

The Trump administration has shown a steadfast opposition to DEI policies, with the president issuing executive orders against the implementation of such policies during his initial days in office.

DEI policies violate civil-rights laws, while undermining national unity, as “they deny, discredit, and undermine the traditional American values of hard work, excellence, and individual achievement in favor of an unlawful, corrosive, and pernicious identity-based spoils system,” said Trump’s Jan. 31 executive order.

In 2024, nonprofit law firm America First Legal filed a federal civil rights complaint with EEOC against Nike alleging racial and sex discrimination in violation of Title VII.

The firm said in a statement at the time that Nike appeared to be using numerical quotas for hiring, training, and promotion. The company aims to have 50 percent of women in the global corporate workforce and 45 percent in leadership positions by 2025, said America First Legal.