Dive Brief:
- America First Legal, a conservative nonprofit, sent a letter Thursday to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging discrimination by Major League Baseball for running diversity programs that it says exclusively provide development opportunities for “qualified minority and female candidates.”
- The nonprofit, which is led Stephen Miller, a former senior advisor of President Trump, characterized the MLB Diversity Pipeline Program, the Diversity Fellowship Program, the Diversity in Ticket Sales Training Program and the Diverse Business Partners Program as “unlawful employment programs” that “belie the MLB’s official statements claiming that it is an equal opportunity employer.” MLB did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
- “While the product on the field remains the paragon of meritocracy, Major League Baseball has decided that the same equal opportunity does not extend to front offices, scouting and coaching. It is both appalling and sad that ‘America’s Pastime’ would continue to engage in such anti-American practices and reject the very concept that has made the sport what it is and should always be — equal opportunity for all,” Ian Prior, a senior advisor at America First Legal, said in a statement.
Dive Insight:
The complaint about MLB is the latest in a string of efforts made by America First Legal to target companies’ diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
In August, the group sued Target on behalf of an investor over what it alleged was the retailer’s failure to accurately assess risk in its decision to sell LGBTQ+-themed products. Instead, the group said it prioritized meeting its environment, social and governance and DEI goals, CNBC reported.
And in October 2022, America First Legal urged EEOC to look into Starbucks’ DEI policies, which it alleged discriminated against White and Asian employees through two of its mentorship programs.
The group’s website shows a number of civil rights complaints, lawsuits and requests for investigations by federal agencies filed in the past month alone, alleging discriminatory practices by companies like Salesforce and Georgia Tech over programs excluding White and male workers and for anti-male discrimination.
