AT&T has vowed to scrap its DEI policies, including a worker training program that labeled racism as a “uniquely white trait.” The telecommunication giant’s sudden change of heart on policies that discriminate against white men comes after pressure from FCC Chairman Brendar Carr.
The New York Post reports that AT&T, the Dallas-based telecom company with over 110,000 employees in the United States, has announced its decision to eliminate its DEI policies. This move comes in response to pressure from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who has made it clear that companies will not be approved for crucial FCC licenses until they axe policies that discriminate on topics like race, gender, and sexual orientation.
In a letter addressed to Chairman Carr on Monday, AT&T Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel David McAtee stated that the company has adjusted its employment and business practices to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and related requirements. This includes ending DEI-related policies not just in name but in substance.
The decision to scrap the DEI policies follows controversy surrounding AT&T’s worker training program, which reportedly labeled racism as a “uniquely white trait.” According to a 2021 report by Christopher Rufo based on leaked documents, the training encouraged white employees to study resources related to critical race theory and told them that they “are the problem.”
As part of its commitment to merit-based opportunity and equal employment, AT&T has stated that it will not enforce any hiring or supplier contract quotas based on race, gender, or sexual orientation. The company has also removed all DEI training from its employee curriculum and will not have any employee roles focused on DEI.
However, AT&T will continue to maintain its employee groups, which have been around for more than 50 years and often focus on protected characteristics such as women’s networks or black employee networks. The company has clarified that it will not block staffers from joining specific groups based on any demographics.
The decision to eliminate DEI policies comes amidst a broader shift in the corporate landscape, with companies making similar commitments to secure FCC licenses. Breitbart News reported in May that Verizon was ditching DEI:
“Verizon has now agreed to end its DEI policies as specified in a new FCC filing. These changes are effective immediately. A good step forward for equal opportunity, nondiscrimination, and the public interest,” Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Carr wrote.
Verizon explained in a new filing with the telecommunications regulatory agency that Verizon would change its human resources (HR) structure and would no longer have a team dedicated to DEI and that those with DEI-based roles will now focus on HR talent objectives.
Read more at the New York Post here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
