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Fox News
9 hours ago
- Business
- Fox News
Johnson & Johnson denies engaging in illegal DEI practices after group makes civil rights complaint
Johnson & Johnson is denying any wrongdoing after being accused of violating federal law and a Trump executive order with DEI hiring practices, according to an investigation request submitted by America First Legal (AFL). "Johnson & Johnson has always been and will continue to be compliant with all applicable laws and has never engaged in any "illegal DEI,'" a Johnson & Johnson spokesperson told Fox News Digital. AFL is accusing Johnson & Johnson of violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the federal government's Equal Opportunity Clause by engaging in what they claim is unlawful hiring and employment practices that they have openly promoted in past disclosures. The conservative legal watchdog is calling on the Department of Health and Human Services to launch an investigation into the drugmaker, claiming the company's commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion violates federal law and affects every aspect of the business. "[Johnson & Johnson's] public representations regarding the role of 'equity' in its employment practices reveal that it systematically and intentionally ignores its compliance obligations and instead violates [their] equal opportunity assurances to the federal government," AFL wrote in a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights. According to Johnson & Johnson's 2023 Health for Humanity Report, the company sought to have 50% of its management positions held by women and 6.8% of management slots held by Black and African American employees by 2025 as part of its "aspirational goals." The report pointed to its progress in achieving 49% women representation and 6.5% Black and African American representation in management slots as of 2023. "The Company's disregard for American civil rights is brazen. It boasts about 'creating equity across our systems and fostering and advancing a culture of inclusion,'" the AFL complaint said. A LinkedIn business post entitled "How Johnson & Johnson is building a diverse talent pipeline" claimed that the pharmaceutical giant uses data to monitor its talent goals and holds leaders in the company accountable to them. The article claims the diversity of the talent pool they are recruiting from is tracked as part of this data. "One of the measures we are starting to look at is, not just the readiness of the pipeline… but what does the diversity of that mix look like? In order to provide a score or an assessment of the strength of the pipeline," Johnson & Johnson executive Sarah McKensey said in a video interview that accompanied the article. The article said the purpose of providing such an assessment on the talent pipeline was to ensure that diversity becomes "a natural feature of the hiring landscape" and said the company also holds external recruiters accountable for the diversity of their talent pool. Johnson & Johnson's 2023 DEI Impact Report stated that its leaders are responsible for developing "diverse and inclusive teams" and its 2023 health and humanity report detailed how the company would partner with women's professional associations in order to achieve "parity" in management. Johnson & Johnson had 3,719 contracts in 2024 with the departments of Health and Human Services, Defense, and other agencies, according to with $11.6 billion in potential total value. Upon taking office in 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning federal agencies from doing business with companies that engage in discriminatory DEI practices. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 says that "An unlawful employment or other hiring practice exists when race, color, religion, sex, or national origin is a motivating factor for any employment decision." Federal regulations state that federal agencies can cut off contracts from outfits that are not in compliance with the Civil Rights Act. The AFL claims the Biden administration shirked its responsibility to investigate whether companies in the medical space were in violation of the civil rights act, and is urging the Trump administration to act now. The company appears to have removed most of its DEI-related content from its public-facing website since Trump took office. The company's former DEI policy landing page, which once stated, "Johnson & Johnson and all its operating companies are committed to workforce diversity, creating equity across our systems, and fostering and advancing a culture of inclusion," now redirects to a more general appendix of ESG policies. The 2023 DEI impact report and the 2023 Health for Humanity report also redirect to the inclusion page. Another DEI landing page has been deleted and replaced with a more tepid "inclusion" page. However, AFL contends that the drugmaker is merely trying to conceal its ongoing DEI violations, and demands a federal investigation to uncover whether it is in compliance with the Civil Rights Act. "Until very recently, Johnson & Johnson proudly touted DEI policies on its website that AFL believes plainly violated the Civil Rights Act. Institutions across corporate America and academia are now taking steps to rebrand or conceal their unlawful DEI policies in order to evade detection and continue their discriminatory must investigate to determine whether Johnson & Johnson is still engaging in illegal discrimination and violating the Civil Rights Act," AFL Vice President Dan Epstein told Fox News Digital. The Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hegseth orders review of Pentagon's complaint process
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed a rehaul of the Defense Department (DOD) programs meant for service members and civilian employees to report harassment and discrimination, claiming individuals have 'weaponized' such avenues. Hegseth ordered each military department to review its military Equal Opportunity (EO) and civilian Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) programs, according to a memo dated Thursday and released Friday. Titled 'Restoring Good Order and Discipline Through Balanced Accountability,' the review is meant 'to ensure prompt and impartial investigations, fair treatment of all involved, and timely and appropriate resolution of allegations of discrimination,' the memo states. In a video posted to social media announcing the review, Hegseth said it's 'a good thing' that the DOD has equal opportunity programs for people to report discrimination and harassment. But he insisted that the programs are sometimes 'weaponized,' with some individuals using them 'in bad faith to retaliate' against superiors or peers. 'I hear it all the time. Say you receive a bad evaluation, well, file a military EO complaint. It's nonsense. We want to fix that,' Hegseth said, calling the directive his 'no more walking on eggshells' policy. 'You see too often at the Defense Department there are complaints made for certain reasons that can't be verified that end people's career, either through EO or the [Office of the Inspector General],' Hegseth added. 'We need to reform that process completely so commanders can be commanders.' He did not include specific examples of such abuses of the complaint system, and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to questions from The Hill pertaining to details of such 'bad faith' uses of the EO process. Each service secretary must now 'identify areas for reform, and provide plans to streamline the investigation process, timely address problematic behaviors, and mitigate undue mission impacts,' within 45 days, per Hegseth's memo. The plans must include specific actions to allow unsubstantiated claims to be dismissed quickly. Hegseth also wants officials to take into account the 'favorable personnel actions' of alleged offenders — meaning any promotions, awards, reenlistment, reassignment, or attendance at military or civilian schools — should it seem like a complaint against them is not likely to be substantiated. In addition, he asked for administrative and/or disciplinary actions for personnel 'who knowingly submit false complaints.' 'Our personnel deserve fair treatment and a positive work environment free from unlawful discrimination and harassment,' Jules Hurst, the acting under secretary of Defense for personnel and readiness, said in a statement accompanying the memo. 'They also deserve qualified leaders who are empowered to make tough decisions, enforce standards, and restore good order and discipline through balanced accountability.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pete Hegseth Introduces ‘No More Walking on Eggshells' Policy to Department of Defense
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is introducing a new policy called 'Restoring Good Order and Discipline Through Balanced Accountability,' a new plan he says will block members of the Department of Defense from weaponizing equal opportunity programs. 'We're back with more reforms here at DOD, and this one is one of the most important ones we've done. The official title is Restoring Good Order and Discipline Through Balanced Accountability — little wordy, but over the target. The real title that I call it, 'The No More Walking on Eggshells Policy,'' Hegseth said in a video announcement shared to X Friday. 'You see, too often at the Defense Department there are complaints made for certain reasons that can't be verified that end people's career, either though EO (Equal Opportunity) or the IG; we need to reform that process completely so commanders can be commanders.' He then broke down the policy further, sharing his own examples of what he deems as ways in which people have abused equal opportunity programs in the past. 'Let me explain it a little bit more, so the DOD has equal opportunity programs for service members and civilians to report discrimination and harassment — that's a good thing. But, what's not good is when these programs are weaponized,' the secretary said. 'Some individuals use these programs in bad faith to retaliate against superiors or peers; I hear it all the time. Say you receive a bad evaluation — well, file a military EO complaint; it's nonsense and we want to fix that.' Hegseth concluded his video saying that his new order will analyze active EO initiatives within the government sector, which he states will assist officials in their duties as 'leaders' and rule enforcers. 'That's why today I'm signing a memo entitled, as I said, 'Restoring Good Order and Discipline Through Balanced Accountability,' Hegesth said. 'It directs a comprehensive review of equal opportunity programs to ensure prompt and impartial investigations, fair treatment to all parties involved and timely and appropriate resolution of allegations of discrimination. So here's the goal: empower leaders to make tough decisions, enforce standards and restore good order and discipline. Otherwise known as 'No More Walking on Eggshells.' This is an important one; proud to sign it.' Hegseth's move came in the midst of a slew of controversies and questions regarding how suited he is to perform his job as the nation's secretary of defense. Recently, NPR reported that President Donald Trump and his administration was ready to replace Hegseth following dual scandals involving leaked classified information on the Signal chat app. Though the White House denied the report, Hegseth's name has continued to make headlines since he stepped into the role for a number of reasons, including his alleged history of sexual assault, alcohol abuse and public misconduct. The post Pete Hegseth Introduces 'No More Walking on Eggshells' Policy to Department of Defense | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
Fox News
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
NBA legend Phil Jackson rips league for scheduling games on religious holidays
Legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson criticized the league for scheduling games on Catholic holidays in a rare post on social media on Sunday. Jackson, an 11-time NBA champion as a coach and two-time champion as a player, posted the criticism on Easter Sunday, when the league had four games in the first round of the NBA Playoffs scheduled. "Again the NBA tests faith by playing multiple games on Christmas and Easter… sacred days," the post on X read. The post was Jackson's first in over a year, but his criticism of the NBA is not unique. In 2023, Jackson made headlines when he said he stopped watching the NBA following the COVID-19 pandemic because the league had gotten too political. "They went into the lockout year, and they did something that was kind of wonky. They did a bubble down in Orlando, and all the teams that could qualify went down there, and stayed down there," he said at the time during an appearance on the "Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin" podcast. "And they had things on their backs like 'Justice.' I made a little funny thing like, 'Justice just went to the basket and Equal Opportunity just knocked him down.'... So, my grandkids thought that was pretty funny to play up those names. So, I couldn't watch that." Jackson was referring to the NBA allowing players to wear social justice messages on the backs of their jerseys during the bubble in Orlando. He added at the time that he felt the league was catering to a "certain audience." "They didn't know it was turning other people off. People want to see sports as non-political." The NBA and NFL continue to compete for viewership on Christmas Day. This year, the NFL announced that three games will be played on the holiday following the success of last season's double-header on Netflix. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
