The EEOC under Trump encourages white men to file discrimination claims, marking a shift in focus away from traditional DEI initiatives.
WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is actively encouraging white men to file workplace discrimination complaints.
This move represents the latest effort to roll back federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes.
“Are you a white male who’s experienced discrimination at work based on your race or sex?” wrote Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) acting chair Andrea Lucas on social media platform X.
“You may have a claim to recover money under federal civil rights laws,” she added.
The EEOC stated it is committed to “identifying, attacking, and eliminating ALL race and sex discrimination — including against white male employees and applicants.”
The independent federal agency was established under the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 to combat workplace racism and sexism.
Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has moved to dismantle DEI programmes across the federal government.
He has also threatened companies that maintain such policies, arguing they disadvantage America’s white majority.
The EEOC website now highlights “DEI-related discrimination” as a key focus area.
Many initiatives originally designed to support minority groups are now labelled “woke” and opposed by conservative figures.
The commission is also targeting alleged discrimination favouring foreign workers over American citizens.
“Many employers have policies and practices preferring illegal aliens, migrant workers, or non-immigrant guest workers over American workers,” Lucas said in a recent statement.
Media reports indicate the agency has halted investigations into workplace discrimination complaints from transgender individuals.
Vice President JD Vance shared Lucas’s call to action on social media.
Vance posted a column by a Hollywood screenwriter who claimed he was denied work for being a young white man.
“DEI as a concept was a deliberate program of discrimination primarily against white men,” Vance wrote.
Lucas agreed, stating this “widespread, systemic, unlawful discrimination primarily harmed white men.”
According to a University of Massachusetts Amherst study, African American employees file EEOC complaints at a rate 195 times higher than white employees.
Pew Research Center data shows women earned an average of 85% of what men earned last year. – AFP
