The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has launched an investigation into Nike, alleging the company discriminated against white employees, including through its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

According to court documents, the EEOC has requested information on how Nike chose employees for layoffs, how it collects and uses race and ethnicity data, and details on 16 programs that allegedly provided race-specific mentoring, leadership, and career development opportunities.

The agency said it has received complaints against Nike dating back to 2018.

Nike called the EEOC’s move “a surprising and unusual escalation,” adding that it has already cooperated “in good faith” and submitted “thousands of pages of information.”

Nike, which calls itself “a proud American company,” said it remains “committed to fair and lawful employment practices” and believes its programs “comply with those obligations.”

Even before his 2024 re-election, President Trump was a vocal critic of corporate DEI initiatives, pledging to “end the tyranny” of such programs if returned to office.

A series of executive orders in early 2025 accelerated a trend already underway at many companies, leading dozens to scale back or eliminate their diversity efforts.