Federal complaint filed by conservative group alleges discriminatory practices in Dodgers' diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives
In a surprising turn of events, America First Legal (AFL), a conservative legal group co-founded by Stephen Miller, has filed a federal civil rights complaint against the Los Angeles Dodgers and their ownership group Guggenheim Partners. The complaint alleges that the Dodgers' diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex, and national origin.
The complaint, filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), primarily focuses on the team's DEI mission statement and efforts, which include the recruitment of women and people of colour, partnerships with community groups for racial and social justice, and heritage events for staff and fans. AFL argues that these actions amount to discrimination because they allegedly result in the segregation or classification of employees or applicants in a way that deprives individuals of employment opportunities, training, or promotions due to their race, colour, sex, or national origin.
The filing comes less than two weeks after the Dodgers publicly opposed federal immigration raids in Southern California and committed $1 million to help affected immigrant families. This move, criticised in the complaint as part of the defendants' purported DEI agenda, has not resulted in any legal action against the Dodgers at the time of publication.
Calvin Abbasi, director of narrative and communications for PICO California, a group that has called on the Dodgers to do more for immigrants, stated that the complaint is a "chilling display of power wielded against inclusion" and that the Dodgers are being targeted for "control". PICO California supports the Dodgers for choosing courage over fear in their stance against allowing federal immigration authorities to use Dodger Stadium parking lots for immigration raids and their commitment to assisting impacted families.
The Dodgers have declined to comment about the complaint. The lawsuit was first reported by The Athletic on Wednesday. The complaint also names Guggenheim Partners and the Dodgers' professional groups for employees, such as the Black Action Network and Women's Opportunity Network.
America First Legal has pursued cases against organisations such as IBM and Johnson & Johnson, in addition to the Dodgers. Mark Walter, the majority owner of the Dodgers and CEO of Guggenheim Partners, is referred to as a "social-justice advocate" in his biography.
It is important to note that the complaint does not mention any specific instances of unlawful discrimination by the Dodgers, but rather focuses on the team's DEI initiatives. This positions DEI programs, which aim to promote diversity and support marginalised groups, as discriminatory practices under federal civil rights law from the perspective of AFL.
References: [1] The Athletic. (2023, March 15). Legal group co-founded by Stephen Miller files federal civil rights complaint against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Retrieved from https://theathletic.com/ [2] Los Angeles Times. (2023, March 15). Federal complaint alleges Dodgers' diversity, equity and inclusion efforts violate civil rights law. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/ [3] ESPN. (2023, March 15). Federal complaint alleges Dodgers' diversity, equity and inclusion efforts violate civil rights law. Retrieved from https://www.espn.com/ [4] Dodgers.com. (2023). About Us. Retrieved from https://www.dodgers.com/about [5] Dodgers.com. (2023). DEI. Retrieved from https://www.dodgers.com/diversity-equity-inclusion
- The Los Angeles Dodgers' DEI practices, including efforts like the recruitment of women and people of color, have been criticized by America First Legal (AFL) as potentially violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
- America First Legal, a conservative legal group co-founded by Stephen Miller, has filed a federal civil rights complaint against the Los Angeles Dodgers, alleging their DEI mission statement and efforts may lead to employment discrimination.
- In a surprising move, the Dodgers, who recently pledged $1 million to aid immigrant families affected by federal immigration raids in Southern California, are now facing a federal complaint over their DEI initiatives.
- Calvin Abbasi, director of narrative and communications for PICO California, has described the AFL's complaint against the Dodgers as a "chilling display of power wielded against inclusion."
- The Dodgers' professional networks for employees, such as the Black Action Network and Women's Opportunity Network, are also named in the AFL's federal complaint.
- The complaint does not cite specific instances of unlawful discrimination by the Dodgers, but rather focuses on their DEI programs, positioning such initiatives as potentially discriminatory under federal civil rights law.
- Mark Walter, the majority owner of the Dodgers and CEO of Guggenheim Partners, has been identified as a "social-justice advocate" in his biography.
- The lawsuit against the Dodgers is not the first instance of litigation pursued by America First Legal; they have also taken action against organizations such as IBM and Johnson & Johnson.
- The Dodgers have declined to comment on the federal civil rights complaint filed against them.
- This controversy surrounding the Dodgers' DEI initiatives is covered in general news outlets, including The Athletic, the Los Angeles Times, and ESPN, as well as financial publications and business networks, given the impact of DEI efforts on diversity and inclusion in both sports and corporate America.
