One of the biggest supporters of Black athletes, Nike, is being investigated by the Trump Administration for alleged discrimination against white employees.
On the fourth day of Black History Month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced the investigation into unspecified claims that the retail conglomerate discriminates against white employees, CNN reported. While the Feb. 4 filing failed to mention individual victims, the investigation claims to be at the benefit of “all White employees, former employees, prospective employees, and current and prospective training program applicants and participants who have been, continue to be, or may be in the future adversely affected by the [alleged] unlawful employment practices.”
The probe puts the spotlight on “NIKE’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-related 2025 Targets and other DEI-related objectives” with the agency seeking information from Nike dating back to 2018 for “race-based workforce representation quotas” in addition to information on layoffs and promotions they allege were in part due to race.
Nike, the world’s largest sportswear and apparel company, the birthplace of the iconic Jordan brand, and home of LeBron James and A’ja Wilson’s sneakers, called the allegations “a surprising and unusual escalation” and seemingly said they have nothing to hide, saying they already “shared thousands of pages of information.” “We are committed to fair and lawful employment practices and follow all applicable laws, including those that prohibit discrimination,” the company said in a statement.
“We believe our programs and practices are consistent with those obligations and take these matters seriously. We will continue our attempt to cooperate with the EEOC and will respond to the petition.”
Court filings push the allegations as a continuation from May 2024 when EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas, then-commissioner, presented the charge herself in May 2024. Since being appointed chair by President Donald Trump in November 2025, Lucas has spearheaded an uptick in claims of white discrimination, putting a battery in the back of employees who feel discriminated against. “Are you a white male who has experienced discrimination at work based on your race or sex? You may have a claim to recover money under federal civil rights laws,” she wrote in a X post.
Employment advocates like Sam Mitchell says the probe is evidence that no one is too large or small to be the subject of scrutiny. “Nike is being made an example of,” the Chicago based lawyer said.
The news of the probe sent shockwaves through social media as some allege Nike has faced discrimination allegations in the past. “White Employees at Nike really saw Black People getting promoted & said “can’t have that” & sued the company during BLACK HISTORY MONTH lmao…I always heard racism was rampant at the Swoosh but yikes,” @sneakerphetish said.
Another user posted a past campaign with NFL blackballed quarterback Colin Kaepernick, seemingly supporting Nike.
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