The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has launched an investigation over claims that Nike has allegedly discriminated against white employees thorough its own diversity initiatives, the agency said on Wednesday.
According to the EEOC, an action his been filed in federal court in Missouri to prompt the sportswear giant to respond to claims that it “discriminated against white workers, including as a result of NIKE’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-related 2025 Targets and other DEI-related objectives.”
The filing from the EEOC did not name any individual victims and referred to “all White employees, former employees, prospective employees, and current and prospective training program applicants and participants who have been, continue to be, or may be in the future adversely affected by the [alleged] unlawful employment practices.”
A Nike spokesperson said that the company has cooperated with the agency but found the inquiry a “surprising and unusual escalation.”
“We are committed to fair and lawful employment practices and follow all applicable laws, including those that prohibit discrimination,” the spokesperson said. “We believe our programs and practices are consistent with those obligations and take these matters seriously. We will continue our attempt to cooperate with the EEOC and will respond to the petition.”
The EEOC said it filed action in federal court after Nike did not initially provide information requested in a subpoena.
“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,” EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas said in a statement. “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 the filing, Lucas said she initially filed a discrimination charge against Nike in 2024 when she was an EEOC commissioner when the agency was mostly Democratic. The agency is now majority Republican and Lucas said her attention has turned to addressing discrimination against White people.
Lucas, in a now-viral video in a social media post from December that has amassed more than six million views, made a plea that seemingly encouraged alleged discrimination claims to be filed with the EEOC.
“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 EEOC as soon as possible. Time limits are typically strict for filing a claim.”
Lucas first issued a discrimination charge against Nike in 2024, when she was a commissioner, according to the filing. Since becoming chair, she has shifted the priorities of the EEOC to address discrimination against White people. In an infamous December social media post, Lucas commissioned potential victims of “DEI-related discrimination.”
The action against Nike is another in a series of similar probes by the EEOC and U.S. Department of Justice through the Trump administration looking into local, state governments, companies and organizations that implemented DEI programs in recent years.
