Deloitte to pay $21.5 million to settle U.S. government probe over DEI

admin — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:52:00 +0000

Deloitte said it was ‌pleased to resolve the matter to “avoid the cost and distraction of protracted litigation”. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Accounting firm Deloitte will pay $21.5 million to settle a ⁠U.S. Department of Justice probe over diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices, which President Donald Trump’s administration has cracked down on during his second term in ‌office.

The settlement marks a resolution reached through the DOJ’s unit formed last year called the “Civil Rights Fraud Initiative” ‌to crack down on DEI policies using a civil anti-fraud ‌law.

The ⁠Trump administration has targeted public and private organisations, from ⁠government agencies to universities, over DEI practices that civil rights advocates say help address historic inequities for marginalised groups like women, the LGBT community and ethnic minorities.

The White House casts DEI ‌as anti-merit and discriminatory against groups such as white people and men. Mr. Trump has signed executive orders asking Federal contractors and subcontractors to eliminate DEI. Civil rights groups say such steps are rolling ‌back social progress.

Many U.S. companies scaled back or modified diversity policies after Mr. Trump’s orders.

The DOJ said on Tuesday (August 25, 2026) that business units within Deloitte received monthly summaries ⁠tracking the “demographic goals” and alleged that Deloitte’s Partners, Principals and Managing Directors were evaluated, in part, based on their contributions to helping Deloitte ‌achieve its workforce composition goals.

The DOJ alleged that such DEI goals aimed at improving the representation of the Black and Hispanic communities impacted promotion decisions.

Deloitte denies ‌it engaged in discriminatory conduct

Deloitte denies it engaged in discriminatory conduct and the settlement agreement released on Tuesday (August 25, 2026) said it does not amount to an admission of liability. The company said it was ‌pleased to resolve the matter to “avoid the cost and distraction of protracted litigation”.

The Justice Department’s settlement also resolves claims filed by the American Alliance for Equal Rights, a group founded by affirmative ⁠action opponent Edward Blum, pursuant to the U.S. False Claims Act, ⁠which allows whistleblowers to sue companies on the government’s behalf to recover taxpayer funds paid out based on false ‌claims.

Whistleblowers are entitled to a cut of any recovery in such cases. Under the settlement agreement, Blum’s group will receive $4.3 million, the DOJ said.

Published – August 26, 2026 12:50 pm IST

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Google Sued By Black Employee Who Was Celebrated As Diversity Success

admin — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 04:18:24 +0000

Jalon Hall painted Googles management environment as hostile and racially charged.

Jalon Hall, a black, deaf employee and the first of her kind hired by Google, has filed a lawsuit against the tech giant, alleging racial and disability discrimination. Ms Hall accuses Google of failing to live up to its promises of inclusivity despite celebrating her as a diversity success story.

According to Wired, Ms Hall’s lawsuit paints a contrasting picture between Google’s public image and its internal practices. While Google touted Ms Hall on social media and corporate events as an example of their inclusive work environment, the lawsuit claims she faced a hostile work environment filled with racial bias.

Ms Hall alleges that after initial promises of sign language interpreter support, Google restricted access to interpreters after assigning her to a role focused on reviewing content for YouTube’s child safety regulations. The lawsuit states that managers refused interpreters due to confidentiality concerns, despite established ethical codes for sign language interpreters.

This lack of accommodations left Ms Hall struggling to meet performance expectations. Unable to understand the video content efficiently without an interpreter, Ms Hall reportedly reviewed far fewer videos than the expected quota. This resulted in slow career progression compared to her peers.

“I felt humiliated, realising that I would not grow in my career,” Ms Hall told Wired.

Furthermore, the lawsuit details an instance where a manager referred to Ms Hall as an “aggressive black deaf woman” and suggested she take on a sales role instead. Additionally, Hall claims she was excluded from discussions and passed over for promotions due to “inaccurate evaluations.”

While Google has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on procedural grounds, they haven’t addressed the specific accusations. Ms Hall, however, is determined to see change.

“Google is using me to make them look inclusive for the Deaf community and the overall disability community,” Ms Hall told Wired. “In reality, they need to do better.”

Ms Hall’s case sheds light on the underrepresentation of black and disabled employees at Google, which is a company with nearly 183,000 workers.

Black women, specifically, have a higher departure rate than women of other races. Google’s deaf and hard-of-hearing employee group reportedly consists of only 40 members, company data showed last year.

Ms Hall’s lawsuit seeks not only personal compensation but also systemic changes. She demands reinforcement policies to ensure future hires with disabilities receive proper accommodation and equal opportunities.

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DIVERSITY – Artifex.News

Deloitte to pay $21.5 million to settle U.S. government probe over DEI

Deloitte denies ‌it engaged in discriminatory conduct

Google Sued By Black Employee Who Was Celebrated As Diversity Success