‘No DEI exception:’ Midwest Planned Parenthood discriminated against and harassed white employees, investigation finds

Planned Parenthood of Illinois allegedly segregated employees by race and discriminated against white staffers, a federal agency found in an investigation.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced Thursday that Planned Parenthood will pay $500,000 to end the case, which was brought by several of the pro-abortion organization’s employees.

Workers were allegedly required to attend weekly one- to two-hour meetings – either a racially segregated “affinity caucus” or a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training, the EEOC said. White employees were allegedly targeted at the DEI trainings, with management telling them that they “are white and do not feel racism the same way non-white patients feel” and that “white supremacy is exerted at every level of oppression (individual, interpersonal, organizational, and societal),” according to the EEOC.

Planned Parenthood also allegedly granted black employees access to time off that it did not permit for white employees, according to the agency.

The EEOC found that Planned Parenthood’s alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects Americans from racial discrimination.

“Segregating employees by race violates the core promise of our nation’s civil rights laws,” EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas said in a statement. “Title VII guarantees equal treatment for every employee and prohibits race discrimination in America’s workplaces. Those protections equally apply to white workers. There is no DEI exception to Title VII’s requirements.”

A Planned Parenthood manager also allegedly made racist comments, though the EEOC said Thursday it is “pleased” the organization “took action to remove the manager responsible.”

“Employers who deliberately separate workers or subject them to harassment because of their race, including white employees, violate federal law,” Lucas continued. “The Commission will continue to enforce these protections to ensure equal opportunity for all.”