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OPINION

Several Large Arizona Employers Can't Shake Their DEI Addictions

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.
AP Photo/George Walker IV, File

In recent weeks, Arizona’s K-12 schools have continued to garner headlines regarding their inability to end unlawful and discriminatory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs.  Our organization has written at length about how several schools, despite direct intervention by the Department of Education and Department of Justice, have failed to comply with these requirements and continue to promote these woke programs on their websites. 

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But it’s not just our public schools that seem unable to shake their DEI addictions. Several of Arizona’s largest private employers continue to deploy DEI, even though the Trump  Administration has made it clear through executive orders that these workplace practices are in direct violation of the Constitution and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

In an attempt to avoid legal or DOJ scrutiny, some of these corporations have announced “phase-outs” of their DEI practices or have attempted to rebrand them. In some cases, the  rebranding simply replaces the words “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” with something like  “Belonging.” Different language, same agenda. 

Here are a few of the largest employers and corporations in Arizona that don’t seem to want  DEI to die in our state: 

Banner Health 

One of the nation’s largest non-profit medical systems, Banner Health, states on its website the need to implement “Cultural Competency Training” and to stay vigilant about any potential cultural competency issues. Just last year, it was recognized for its  exceptional supply chain diversity, which emphasizes support for minority-owned  businesses, including those owned by women or LGBT people, as part of its stated  commitment to “social responsibility.” To really prove it is anti-racist and employs fellow anti-racists, Banner Health also provides “microaggression workshops that break down biases” for nurses. 

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Freeport-McMoRan 

The international mining company, Freeport-McMoRan, maintains an “Inclusion and  Diversity Policy” stating the many ways it can increase workforce diversity. One of the methods includes having a “diverse representation on hiring panels” and offering DEI training to promote inclusivity among employees. 

PetSmart 

PetSmart has also embraced woke ideology – apparently, not even our pets are safe. In  2018, the company launched its Diversity Action Council (DAC), and as recently as 2023 

held its formerly annual “Belonging Week.” While the DAC has been quiet in the last couple years, the Belonging webpages remain active. PetSmart plans to increase awareness and  inclusivity by partnering with associate groups such as Pride at Work (PAW), Women  Inspiring Strength and Excellence (WISE), and MOSAIC, which aims to “build cultural  awareness” and “remove preconceived notions.” One of the board members of PetSmart Charities, Elliott Francis, who also serves as the Principal DEI Program Manager for SoFi, has stated it is critical to fix the “system of inequity” surrounding pet ownership and the affordability of pet care. Because owning a pet is a right, not a privilege? 

ON Semiconductor 

ON Semiconductor (onsemi) has slightly changed the DEI title to “Inclusion, Belonging &  Engagement.” There, it claims to understand that “equity is not equality” and systems need to be redesigned to level the playing field for all employees. Onsemi is so good that it was even voted one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” (partly due to their net-zero emissions commitment, but that’s a different problem). The 2024 Sustainability Report lists the diversity of its governance bodies and employees and, more importantly, the pay ratio between men and women, since the wage gap is real (hint: it’s not). 

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Republic Services 

Lucky for us, Republic Services, the waste management company incorporated in Arizona,  celebrates “diversity every day” with a workforce that is 47% ethnically diverse. Yes, the company is keeping track. Their goal is to have at least 50% of their leadership roles filled by diversity hires by 2030. Because everyone really needs women and minorities managing the waste! Their Mission of Supporting an Inclusive Culture (MOSAIC) Council has set diversity goals for 2025-2030 to build relationships with more diverse organizations and provide DEI training to employees. These things are essential to understanding waste management. 

Avnet 

Avnet, the global tech company, makes it clear in their vision and mission statements that awareness of cultural diversity is vital to success. Avnet virtue signals the diverse company stats showing that 45% of its workforce is women, 34% are minorities, and 42% of Avnet’s  Board of Directors are minorities as well. Hopefully, those numbers can increase a bit more  so they can outshine their competitors for “most woke.” Their 2024 ESG Report is riddled with various approaches to DEI implementation. They established a “Global Diversity Awareness  Month” and held events to celebrate. One chart displays the level of diversity in the workforce: 30.4% are diverse, 69.6% are nondiverse. By “nondiverse,” do they mean…  white people?

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Axon 

On Axon’s “Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion” (JEDI) page, the company flaunts its  “inclusive spaces” particularly for their Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) such as HOLA  for Hispanic employees, Mosaic for Black employee and “allies,” Women at Axon for  “female-identifying employees,” and Axon Allies for the LGBT community. In their 2021- 2023 “Force for Good” Responsibility Report, the main goal is to cut gun-related deaths in half by 2030. This is all in the name of social justice and ensuring that “people and police  would use guns less.” 

Carvana 

The online used car dealer, Carvana, was ranked one of the best employers for diversity in  2023. They “champion diversity, inclusion, and belonging” with ERGs such as Black  Employees & Allies at Carvana (BEACON), EMPOWHER for women, PRIDE for LGBT  employees, and several others representing different minority groups. 

Gannett 

The owner of The Arizona Republic and over 200 media and digital news brands, Gannett,  has removed several DEI aspects from its website, yet still includes a “Culture” page. This  page highlights various ERGs like “Black Forward,” “Pride Forward,” “Vamos Forward,” and  

several others to really show off their inclusivity. In Gannett’s “Inclusion report library,”  reports from 2020-2023 demonstrate just how diverse the company is and how it plans to increase that diversity in the future. The 2023 Inclusion Report notes that women fill 45% of leadership roles, nearly 55% by men, and, unfortunately, 0% by non-binary people  - hopefully that statistic won’t stay at zero for long, for the sake of diversity.  

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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) 

The world’s largest semiconductor company operates its largest plant in Arizona and receives substantial support from Arizona taxpayers. TSMC has not even attempted to curb its public DEI initiatives. Just last year, it launched DEI workshops and courses for suppliers to “foster an inclusive culture” and released its official DEI statement. The company has also published goals to rank in the top 25% for DEI and increase the number of women in its workforce. This month, current and former employees of TSMC Arizona refiled a lawsuit against the company for discrimination. One would think that with these extremely fair quotas and a commitment to diversity, this wouldn’t be a problem. TSMC responded by reaffirming its DEI principles. But maybe the problem isn’t too little DEI, it’s too much. Rather than expanding these practices, they should eliminate them.

This is not an exhaustive list—numerous other corporations in Arizona continue to operate DEI employment and training practices in defiance of the federal law. It is also important to note that many corporations benefit not just from our pro-business environment but also receive generous tax credits and subsidies from Arizona taxpayers. It’s bad enough to have DEI in Arizona, but it is even worse knowing that we are paying for these programs. 

So long as these unlawful practices continue here in Arizona, we will continue to shine a spotlight on them until they are fully eliminated.

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