AT&T to FCC: We're Committed to Ending DEI Programs

AT&T has committed to ending its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, including an employee training program that reportedly described racism as "uniquely white," the company says.

In a Monday letter to Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, the telecommunications giant said that it has "reviewed our policies and relationships ... to ensure that they are aligned with our business priorities," adding that the "legal landscape governing diversity, equity, and inclusion ('DEI') policies and programs has changed."

Stating that it has a "longstanding practice to pay and advance individuals based on merit and qualification," the company said it does not and will not use hiring quotas based on race, sex, or "any other protected characteristic."

AT&T said it awards supplier contracts "based on value, quality, function, and ability to serve our business objectives," adding that its "procurement practices ... are not based on any demographic-based goals."

No employee roles are focused on DEI, and the company won't create any such positions in the future, the letter stated.

"Further, consistent with the current law, we removed training related to 'diversity, equity and inclusion' as well as any references to it from our internal and external messaging and will ensure that future training is consistent with guidance released by the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission addressing training that could facilitate discrimination in the workplace," the company said.

A 2021 City Journal report based on leaked documents found that AT&T previously offered employees training that called racism a "uniquely white trait" and told white employees that they are "the problem."

Manhattan Institute senior fellow Christopher Rufo reported at the time that AT&T employees were urged to study materials related to critical race theory, including one that said, "White America, if you want to know who's responsible for racism, look in the mirror."

"We have closely followed the recent Executive Orders, Supreme Court rulings, and guidance issued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and have adjusted our employment and business practices to ensure that they comply with all applicable laws and related requirements, including ending DEI-related policies ... not just in name but in substance," wrote David McAtee, AT&T senior executive vice president and general counsel.

He added that the company will retain its employee groups, which have been established for more than 50 years, but said that AT&T will "ensure that these groups are driving business outcomes in support of the company's purpose and strategy."

"Any AT&T employee can exercise their right to free association in joining any employee group and experience networking, leadership, professional development, and volunteerism opportunities," the letter stated. "To the extent that an employee group is focused on a demographic or protected characteristic, we do not and will not draw distinctions based on any of those characteristics in granting permission to establish groups or conduct events."

AT&T's move comes after similar pledges from Verizon and T-Mobile as major telecom companies look to challenge cable and satellite competitors. Carr has made it clear that companies seeking key federal licenses won't receive agency approval unless they scrap their DEI programs.

Earlier this year, the Ellison family's Skydance Media made the same commitment, agreeing to dismantle DEI policies at Paramount and install a media ombudsman at CBS News as the companies pushed for merger approval.

One day later, the FCC signed off on the long-anticipated $8.4 billion deal.