AT&T Scraps DEI Amid Broader Corporate Shift Toward Merit-Based Policies

The Telecom giant said it is ending all diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, joining a growing list of companies unwinding such policies.
AT&T Scraps DEI Amid Broader Corporate Shift Toward Merit-Based Policies
The AT&T logo on a building in Los Angeles on Aug. 10, 2017. Mike Blake/Reuters
Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
|Updated:
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AT&T told federal regulators this week that it has eliminated all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and programs across its business, becoming the latest major corporation to unwind such initiatives amid a broader shift toward merit-based employment practices and heightened scrutiny from the Trump administration.

In a Dec. 1 letter filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as part of AT&T’s bid to acquire U.S. Cellular spectrum licenses for roughly $1 billion, the company said it is “ending DEI-related policies ... not just in name but in substance,” following recent executive orders, Supreme Court rulings, and guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
Tom Ozimek is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times. He has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education.
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