Nike facing federal probe of alleged discrimination against white employees

• The case appears to be one of the first big investigations of the issue announced by the agency, which put a call out seeking such discrimination complaints late last year.

Zoom in: The EEOC said Wednesday that it filed an action in federal court in Missouri to compel Nike to produce information related to allegations that the company discriminated against white workers, as part of its diversity, equity and inclusion program.

• "Title VII's prohibition of race-based employment discrimination is colorblind and requires the EEOC to protect employees of all races from unlawful employment practices," EEOC chair Andrea Lucas said in a statement.
• "Thanks to President Trump's commitment to enforcing our nation's civil rights laws, the EEOC has renewed its focus on evenhanded enforcement of Title VII."

The other side: "This feels like a surprising and unusual escalation," a Nike spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Axios.

• "We have had extensive, good-faith participation in an EEOC inquiry into our personnel practices, programs, and decisions and have had ongoing efforts to provide information and engage constructively with the agency. We have shared thousands of pages of information and detailed written responses to the EEOC's inquiry and are in the process of providing additional information."
• The company is still dealing with a sexual harassment suit filed by female employees in 2018, part of a big MeToo-era scandal that led to the departure of several top male executives and accusations over a toxic workplace culture. Complaints haven't disappeared, though.

The big picture: Employment attorneys who work on discrimination cases, and advocates for disadvantaged groups, have criticized the EEOC's narrow focus under Trump.

• From day one Trump has been very clear in his intent to stamp out DEI practices inside companies, issuing several executive orders — and announcing other investigations.

• Back in March, Lucas asked 20 law firms for more details on their DEI policies. The agency has also dropped pending cases, including one regarding applicant screening at Sheetz, as well as multiple complaints alleging employers discriminated against transgender workers.
• Companies have been scrambling for more than a year to adjust policies to be more in line with the White House preferences.

Flashback: Last December, Lucas asked for white men facing discrimination to contact the agency, in a video she released on X.com.

• "Are you a white male who has experienced discrimination at work based on your race or sex? You may have a claim to recover money under federal civil rights laws. Contact the @USEEOC as soon as possible," she wrote.
• " The EEOC is committed to identifying, attacking, and eliminating ALL race and sex discrimination — including against white male employees and applicants."

Editor's note: This story has been updated with a Nike statement.