Nike faces heat from Trump administration over alleged discrimination claims against white workers
Nike is facing scrutiny from the Trump administration over allegations it discriminated against white workers. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is the federal agency that enforces employment discrimination laws.
The EEOC, under the Trump administration, filed a subpoena on Wednesday to force Nike to produce records dating back to 2018 after claiming Nike did not provide the federal agency with enough information to conduct an investigation that begins in 2024.
lawsuit against Nike
The lawsuit against Nike stems from a charge sought in 2024 by current EEOC Chairman Andrea Lucas, who was then the agency’s Republican commissioner. Lucas has long criticized diversity and inclusion policies, calling them potentially discriminatory. access point reported.
The statement against Nike comes nearly two months after Lucas shared a media post urging white men to come forward if they experience racial or gender discrimination in the workplace. Lucas’ post also asked eligible employees to contact the federal agency.
EEOC’s court filing
According to the EEOC’s court filing, the agency is investigating systemic allegations of intentional racial discrimination related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). The court found that Nike may have had a pattern or practice of disparate treatment of its 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.
He also stated that the institution filed an enforcement action in court after the ready-to-wear and sportswear giant failed to provide all the information requested in the subpoena.
The investigation focuses on whether Nike violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This focuses specifically on the sneaker maker’s goal of increasing representation of racial and ethnic minorities to at least 30 percent of U.S. employees at the executive level and above and to at least 35 percent of the entire U.S. corporate workforce by 2025.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits employers from using race as a criterion when hiring or making other employment decisions.
The lawsuit against Nike is the first filed by the EEOC since Trump took office in January 2025, and Trump has attacked diversity initiatives since the start of his second term, stating that they amounted to “reverse discrimination.”
Accordingly BloombergThe sportswear and apparel giant experienced the most notable change in hiring of non-White employees among the largest companies between 2020 and 2021, according to data Nike filed with the EEOC.
Nike’s response
Calling the investigation a “shocking and unusual escalation,” Nike refuted the allegations, saying it was “committed to fair and lawful employment practices.” “We believe that our programs and practices are consistent with these obligations, and we take these matters seriously. We will continue our attempts to cooperate with the EEOC and will respond to the petition,” the company said in a statement.
Elaborating further on the issue, the sportswear giant said it had shared more than thousands of pages of information, as well as detailed written responses to the federal agency’s investigation, and was in the process of providing additional information.
Other companies targeted by the EEOC
Nike appears to be the highest-profile company the agency has targeted with a publicly confirmed investigation. But in November 2025, it issued a similar subpoena against financial services provider Northwestern Mutual.
Trump administration’s stance on DEI
Days after taking office, Trump signed executive orders aimed at ending DEI programs within the federal government. In his inaugural address on January 20, Trump said his administration would “create a colorblind and merit-based society.” It also rescinded the 1965 order mandating equal employment opportunities for all.
