Apple’s board urges shareholders to vote against a proposal to end various programs Via Reuters

(Reuters) – Apple’s (NASDAQ:) board of directors has urged investors to vote against a shareholder proposal to end the company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, according to a representative from the company.

The National Center for Public Policy, a conservative think tank, presented a proposal that the company is considering ending the “Program for inclusion and diversity, policies, departments and goals.”

The filing cited recent Supreme Court decisions, and argued that DEI poses “litigation, reputational and financial risks to companies” and could make Apple vulnerable to litigation. .

Apple responded that it had a well-established compliance program and the proposal was unnecessary. It also said the shareholder proposal was an inappropriate attempt to control Apple’s business strategy.

“Apple is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring, hiring, training or promotion on any basis protected by law,” the iPhone maker said. The news was first reported by TechCrunch.

Several major companies including Meta (NASDAQ: ) and Amazon (NASDAQ: ) are scaling back diversity programs ahead of Republican Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency as opposition to such moves grows. more.

Conservative groups have criticized DEI programs and threatened to sue companies over them, bolstered by a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that loosened strictures on admissions decisions. university.

The changes show how some major American businesses have responded to a massive backlash against different initiatives, which have increased following widespread protests following the police killings of George Floyd and other Black Americans in 2020.