Nationwide — Nike is under federal scrutiny after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accused the company of discriminating against white employees through its diversity policies. The agency is now asking a court to force Nike to hand over workforce data tied to the investigation.
The EEOC filed a motion this week in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, where Nike operates a facility connected to its AIR footwear technology. The filing seeks enforcement of a subpoena issued as part of the agency’s probe into Nike’s corporate employment practices.
According to ABC News, the case dates back to 2024, when EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas alleged that Nike engaged in “race-based workforce representation quotas.” She also claimed the company made hiring, promotion, demotion, and firing decisions involving “disparate treatment against White employees, applicants, and training program participants.”
The EEOC said its investigation did not arise from employee complaints. Instead, it was based on publicly available information, including Nike’s stated goals to reach “30% representation of racial and ethnic minorities at Director level and above in the U.S.” and 35% representation across its entire U.S. corporate workforce.
The agency said it issued a subpoena last September requesting detailed data on the racial and ethnic makeup of Nike’s workforce. While Nike provided some materials, the EEOC said key information was missing, slowing the investigation.
“Respondent NIKE’s failure to comply with the subpoena has delayed and hampered the EEOC’s investigation of alleged unlawful employment practices under Title VII” of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the motion states.
In a statement, a Nike spokesperson described the move to seek court enforcement as a “surprising and unusual escalation.” The company said it has cooperated with the inquiry and shared extensive documentation.
“We have had extensive, good-faith participation in an EEOC inquiry into our personnel practices, programs, and decisions and have had ongoing efforts to provide information and engage constructively with the agency,” the statement said. Nike added that it remains “committed to fair and lawful employment practices” and plans to respond to the court petition.