EEOC Opens Nike Civil-Rights Probe With 26-Page Bias Memo
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 16
EEOC Opens Nike Civil-Rights Probe With 26-Page Bias Memo
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 16
Summary
A 26-page memo from EEOC Commissioner Andrea Lucas in May 2024 triggered a civil-rights investigation into Nike over alleged discrimination against white employees and job applicants.
Nike’s diversity push drew scrutiny because Lucas argued the company set U.S. workforce racial targets and may have used internal programs and layoffs in ways that disadvantaged white workers, including executives.
Lucas wrote that any employment decision influenced by race—including training programs—could violate federal law, and said urgent action was needed to prevent further large-scale unlawful discrimination.
Nike’s case has become an early template for broader Trump-era challenges to corporate diversity initiatives as Lucas rose to chair the EEOC.