Nike is under investigation by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) over allegations that the company discriminated against white workers.
In court filings made public this week, the EEOC said it is examining claims that Nike engaged “in a pattern or practice of disparate treatment against white employees, applicants, and training programme participants”. The agency has demanded company records dating back to 2018, including information on the use of race and ethnicity data and whether such data influenced executive pay.
Nike said it was “committed to fair and lawful employment practices” and described the inquiry as “a surprising and unusual escalation”. In a statement, the company said it complies with anti-discrimination laws and is cooperating with the regulator. It added that it has already submitted thousands of pages of documents in response to the EEOC’s requests.
The investigation was triggered by a 2024 complaint from America First Legal, a partisan organisation founded by Stephen Miller, a former adviser to US President Donald Trump. The group has identified the dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes as a core objective.
According to court documents, the EEOC said Nike failed to fully comply with information requests related to its hiring, training and promotion practices, as well as internal hiring goals linked to race and ethnicity. The requests began more than a year ago and included a previous subpoena.
“Nike’s failure to comply … has delayed and hampered the EEOC’s investigation of alleged unlawful employment practices,” the agency said in its filing.
Nike has argued that the investigation should be dropped, saying it is being questioned over diversity policies that were previously encouraged by federal agencies.
The case marks one of the most high-profile enforcement actions taken by the EEOC since the Trump administration signalled a shift in focus away from discrimination affecting minority groups and women. EEOC chair Andrea Lucas has previously said some workplace diversity initiatives may violate US law and has encouraged white men to file complaints.
The subpoena also seeks extensive personal data, including information on all employees considered for redundancy during Nike’s 2024 job cuts.
The EEOC is engaged in a similar legal dispute with Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance, which has said the agency failed to clearly specify the alleged violations.
