The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is scrutinizing Nike following vague allegations of bias against its white employees, the agency disclosed on Wednesday.
The agency indicated its probe is looking into potential discrimination against white staff, which might stem in part from “NIKE’s 2025 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Goals and other DEI-related targets.”
This enforcement action signals a shift in the administration’s approach to discrimination concerns, favoring a focus aimed at curbing diversity initiatives and instead examining whether such programs unfairly disadvantage white individuals.
“Due to President Trump’s commitment to enforcing our nation’s civil rights laws, the EEOC has refocused on the fair enforcement of Title VII,” stated EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas in a release.
The EEOC’s statement on Wednesday did not name specific individuals. Instead, it referenced “all White employees, former employees, prospective employees, and current and prospective applicants and program participants who have been, continue to be, or may in the future be adversely affected by [alleged] unlawful employment practices.”
Nike characterized Wednesday’s move as an “unexpected and unusual escalation” in an emailed statement, asserting it had already “shared thousands of pages of information.”
“We are dedicated to fair and lawful employment practices and comply with all applicable laws, including those prohibiting discrimination,” the company commented. “We believe our programs and practices align with these obligations and take these matters seriously. We will continue our efforts to cooperate with the EEOC and will respond to the subpoena.”
According to records, the initial discrimination charge against Nike was brought by Lucas in 2024 while she served as a commissioner. Since assuming the Chair role, she has redirected the EEOC’s priorities toward combating discrimination against white people. In a notable December social media post, Lucas solicited input from potential victims of “DEI-related discrimination.”
“Are you a white man who has experienced on-the-job discrimination because of your race or sex? You may have grounds to recover money under federal civil rights laws,” she posted on X.
The EEOC specified it is seeking data from Nike dating back to 2018 concerning “workforce representation quotas based on race” and the alleged making of decisions regarding layoffs and promotions, at least partially, by racial considerations. The agency also requested information on 16 mentorship and career development initiatives that were “racially restricted.”
This sweeping investigation serves as an indicator that no employer, regardless of its high profile, is exempt from scrutiny under the Trump administration’s anti-DEI objectives, according to Sam Mitchell, a Chicago-based attorney specializing in employment disputes.
“Nike is being made an example of,” Mitchell told CNN.
The EEOC noted that it filed an enforcement action after Nike voluntarily failed to furnish all the information mandated by the subpoena.
In a 2025 court filing, lawyers representing Nike contended the subpoena should be quashed because “its detailed demands are unduly burdensome, vague, overbroad, disproportionate to the needs of the investigation, seek irrelevant and time-barred information, and constitute an improper fishing expedition.”
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