Apple’s Board Tells Shareholders: Dump Bid To Scrap Diversity Programs

Apple's board of directors has recommended that investors vote against a shareholder proposal to abolish the company's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, according to a proxy filing reported by Chandni Shah for Reuters.

Apple countered that it has a robust compliance program in place and deemed the proposal unnecessary. I Photo: Apple

The proposal was submitted by the National Center for Public Policy (NCPP), a conservative think tank, which urged the company to consider eliminating its "Inclusion & Diversity program, policies, department, and goals."

The NCPP cited recent Supreme Court decisions and argued that DEI initiatives pose "litigation, reputational, and financial risks to companies," potentially exposing Apple to lawsuits.

Apple countered that it has a robust compliance program in place and deemed the proposal unnecessary. The company also described the suggestion as an inappropriate attempt to micromanage its business strategy.

"Apple is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in recruiting, hiring, training, or promoting on any basis protected by law," the tech giant stated in its filing.

The proposal comes as other major corporations, including Meta and Amazon, scale back their diversity programs amid growing conservative opposition and the anticipated return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency.