Nascar Accused of Bias Against White Men in Diversity Efforts

Nascar and a racing team the organization supports to develop female and minority drivers are the latest targets of a conservative legal group’s offensive against corporate diversity initiatives.

America First Legal, led by former Trump adviser Stephen Miller, asked the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate Nascar and Rev Racing for “illegal discrimination against White, male Americans.”

Over the past year AFL has accused more than a dozen companies—including Morgan Stanley, Major League Baseball, McDonald’s, and Starbucks—of having discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The EEOC has yet to publicly respond to the group’s requests, which potentially put the civil rights agency in the difficult position of probing corporate policies aimed at reducing workplace discrimination.

The group claimed that Nascar and Rev Racing’s DEI programs—including its “diversity driver development program,” “diversity pit crew development program,” and the “NASCAR diversity internship program"— violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race and sex.

These programs previously specified that they were intended for women and ethnic minorities, but were updated on Sept. 1 to say they sought applicants of “diverse backgrounds and experiences,” according to the AFL’s letter to the EEOC.

Despite the language change, it claimed that Nascar and Rev Racing are continuing to carry out unlawful hiring practices “under the cloak of a ‘diverse backgrounds and experiences’ rebranding.”

A spokesperson for Nascar didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.