Overview
- Federal filings say the probe is examining a possible pattern of disparate treatment against White employees, applicants, and training participants tied to Nike’s DEI objectives.
- The EEOC seeks records dating to 2018, including layoff selection criteria, the company’s tracking and use of race and ethnicity data, and any links to executive compensation.
- Investigators are also requesting details on 16 mentoring, leadership, and career-development programs alleged to have race-restricted participation.
- Nike says it has cooperated by providing thousands of pages and calls the enforcement move a surprising escalation, while earlier legal filings challenged the subpoena as overbroad and burdensome.
- The case stems from a commissioner’s charge filed by Andrea Lucas in May 2024 after complaints from America First Legal and reflects the Trump administration’s broader scrutiny of corporate DEI practices under Title VII.