#eeoc

#eeoc

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Wednesday that it has asked a federal judge to require Nike to provide information for its investigation into alleged racial discrimination. The sportswear giant is accused of intentional systemic discrimination against white employees, with some requests for information dating back to 2018. A Nike spokesperson called the filing a "surprising and unusual escalation." "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,"

Approved in 2024 during the Biden administration, the nearly 200-page document describes how harassment based on protected characteristics such as race, sex, religion, age, and disability is defined under federal law. It includes more than 70 examples, describing scenarios that employers might encounter. While much of that guidance wasn't new, one addition that rankled many conservatives was a section on gender identity and sexual orientation.

Last August, the administration notified the insurance companies covering federal workers and their families that as of Jan. 1, 2026 it would no longer cover "chemical and surgical modification of an individual's sex traits through medical interventions." However, the administration did say it would pay for counseling, include by "those who provide faith-based counseling."

The cases the EEOC withdrew from included those brought on behalf of an Alabama hospitality group worker who alleged their manager said they needed to be "hidden" on the night shift before firing them outright; a transgender woman at an Illinois hog farm who said her coworker exposed his genitals to her and touched her breasts; and a transgender hotel worker in New York who said their supervisor referred to them as "transformer" and "it."

"The Guidance states that it does not attempt to impose new legal obligations on employers with respect to any aspect of workplace harassment law, including gender identity discrimination..."