Trump administration targets Nike DEI policies in civil-rights probe

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a subpoena enforcement action against Nike in U.S. District Court in Missouri on Feb. 4, 2026, demanding information tied to allegations that the company discriminated against white workers through its diversity, equity and inclusion policies. The EEOC is investigating “systemic allegations of DEI-related intentional race discrimination.”

The Nike inquiry traces back to a 26-page memo written by a political appointee and to a commissioner’s charge issued by EEOC Commissioner Andrea Lucas on May 24, 2024, before she became chair. The filing used the agency’s investigative powers to press claims against diversity programs, including subpoena and enforcement tools that can force employers to turn over internal records.

The case also lands inside a broader Trump administration push against DEI across government and the private sector. In his first week back in office, Donald Trump issued executive actions aimed at diversity, equity and inclusion programs, including the White House order titled “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing.” Federal DEI employees were placed on paid leave and the administration later moved to fire workers in DEI roles.

Nike did not immediately retreat from the post-2020 corporate backlash against DEI. The EEOC action comes as civil-rights advocates warn that using the agency against corporate diversity initiatives could chill lawful efforts to expand opportunity, while the White House says the crackdown is aimed at unlawful discrimination.

Last year, Lucas asked white men to report workplace discrimination if they believed they had experienced it based on race or sex. The National Association of Social Workers called Trump’s DEI order a “shattering setback” for communities of color, disabled people, LGBTQ+ individuals, and women.