The federal government is investigating Nike’s diversity plans. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed court papers Wednesday demanding that the athletic apparel giant turn over records on alleged discrimination against white workers.
Andrea Lucas, chairwoman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, launched the investigation herself last year.
She claimed Nike’s diversity goals could violate federal law because it would bias white employees in hiring and promotions. The agency wants Nike to implement layoff standards starting in 2018.
They also requested details of 16 programs that allegedly provided workers with racially restricted mentoring and leadership opportunities.
“Title VII’s prohibition on employment discrimination based on race is non-color discrimination,” Lucas said in a statement. “The EEOC will take all necessary steps to ensure the opportunity for a full investigation.”
Nike strongly opposes the federal request. The company called the subpoena enforcement action a “surprising and unusual escalation” in court documents.
“We have shared thousands of pages of information and detailed written responses,” Nike said in a statement. “We are providing more information.”
Nike’s legal team previously called the subpoena “overbroad, burdensome, vague, unclear and disproportionate.” The company has been fighting the federal request for months.
The investigation stems from Nike’s public diversity commitment following the death of George Floyd in 2020. The company has set a goal of having 35% of its employees from ethnic minorities by 2025.
Nike also ties executive pay to diversity goals. Leaders receive bonuses for increasing the number of women in leadership positions and meeting minority representation goals at supervisor levels and above.
Are you a white male who has experienced racial or gender discrimination at work?
You may have rights to recover money under federal civil rights laws. Contact @USEEEC as soon as possible.The EEOC is committed to identifying, attacking, and eliminating all racial… pic.twitter.com/BYjbld5zdv
— Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Chair Andrea Lucas (@andrelucasEEOC) December 17, 2025
Lucas filed the discrimination charge in May 2024, when she was still a commissioner. The accusation comes after Stephen Miller’s conservative group America First Law urged the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate Nike’s diversity practices.
Lucas posted on social media in December urging white people to file discrimination complaints. The post instructs staff to contact the agency “as soon as possible” about DEI-related bias.
The Trump administration has made attacking DEI programs a top priority. President Donald Trump campaigned against diversity initiatives that create an “anti-white feeling” in the workplace.
Trump took action on his first day in office to dismantle DEI programs in the federal government and the military. He also threatened to strip billions of dollars in federal funding from universities with diversity programs.
