The feds are coming for Nike’s diversity programs. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed court papers Wednesday demanding the sportswear giant hand over records about alleged discrimination against white workers.
EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas launched the investigation herself last year.
She claims Nike’s diversity goals might violate federal law by creating bias against white employees in hiring and promotions. The agency wants Nike’s layoff criteria from 2018 forward.
They’re also demanding details about 16 programs that allegedly gave race-restricted mentoring and leadership opportunities to workers.
“Title VII’s prohibition of race-based employment discrimination is colorblind,” Lucas said in a statement. “The EEOC will take all necessary steps to ensure the opportunity to fully investigate.”
Nike pushed back hard against the federal demands. The company called the subpoena enforcement action “a surprising and unusual escalation” in court filings.
“We have shared thousands of pages of information and detailed written responses,” Nike said in a statement. “We are in the process of providing additional information.”
Nike’s legal team previously called the subpoena “overbroad, unduly burdensome, vague, ambiguous, and disproportionate.” The company has been fighting the federal requests for months.
The investigation stems from Nike’s public diversity commitments after George Floyd’s death in 2020. The company set goals to reach 35% representation of racial minorities in its corporate workforce by 2025.
Nike also tied executive compensation to diversity objectives. Leaders got bonuses for increasing women in leadership positions and hitting minority representation targets at the director level and above.
Are you a white male who has experienced discrimination at work based on your race or sex?
You may have a claim to recover money under federal civil rights laws. Contact the @USEEOC as soon as possible.The EEOC is committed to identifying, attacking, and eliminating ALL race… pic.twitter.com/BYjbld5zdv
— EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas (@andrealucasEEOC) December 17, 2025
Lucas filed her discrimination charge in May 2024 when she was still a commissioner. The charge came after America First Legal, Stephen Miller’s conservative group, urged the EEOC to investigate Nike’s diversity practices.
Lucas posted on social media in December, urging white men to file discrimination complaints. The post directed workers to contact the agency “as soon as possible” about DEI-related bias.
The Trump administration has made attacking DEI programs a top priority. President Donald Trump campaigned against diversity initiatives for creating “anti-white feeling” in workplaces.
On his first day back in office, Trump moved to wipe out DEI programs across the federal government and the military. He’s also threatening to strip billions in federal funding from universities with diversity programs.
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