USA

U.S. Investigates Nike – for Discrimination against White People
Published 5 February 2026 at 12.30

Foreign. A federal U.S. agency is now going to court against the sporting giant Nike. The agency suspects that the company's Diversity Program (DEI) has led to systematic discrimination against white employees and jobseekers.


The federal agency Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, EEEC, announces that it has turned to court to force Nike to disclose extensive internal data.

The agency is investigating allegations that the company's so-called DEI efforts, linked to "diversity, equality and inclusion," have meant racial discrimination.

According to EEECO, among other things, recruitment, promotion, degradation, redundancies, internships and mentoring and leadership programs apply. The investigation concerns allegations that white people have been disadvantaged by a pattern of conscious discrimination.

The agency has demanded information that in some parts stretches back to 2018. These include criteria for staff reductions, how Nike collects and uses data on employee race and ethnicity, and whether such data has been used to determine remuneration to managers. EEOC also wants details of a number of programmes that, according to the agency, may have been limited to certain breed groups.

When Nike did not disclose all the necessary material, EEOC went on with a so-called enforcement case in the federal court in Missouri.

"When there are strong indications, including through companies' own statements in comprehensive public material, that an employer's DEI-related program may violate federal bans on racial discrimination or other forms of illegal discrimination, EEECOS will take all necessary measures, including pushing through lawsuits, to ensure that we can fully investigate the matter," EEOC President Andrea Lucas said in a press release.

She stresses that U.S. discrimination legislation should be applied without regard to skin color.

“The ban on racial discrimination in working life is colourful and requires EEECs to protect employees of all breeds from illegal practices. Thanks to President Trump's commitment to upholding the country's civil rights laws, EEECOS has renewed its focus on an equal application of the law," she said.

EEECOS is the only federal agency entitled to investigate and pursue cases against private employers for violations of U.S. discrimination law.