Joshua Young, a corrections officer in Colorado, was taken aback by the anti-bias training he attended in March 2021. The session's emphasis on terms like “white supremacy,” “white exceptionalism,” and “white fragility” left him with a disturbing impression that “all White people are racist.” Young voiced concerns that the training could harm relationships between staff and inmates, saying, “It told us basically that … we were unable to treat people fairly just because of the way they look.”
Feeling that his civil rights were being infringed upon, Young sued, joining several other white plaintiffs challenging similar trainings across the country. These lawsuits are part of a broader backlash against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, which have grown in prominence since the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Critics argue that such training often portrays white people as inherently biased, which they believe constitutes workplace discrimination.
Despite the legal challenges, DEI training remains widespread. According to Pam McElvane, CEO of Diversity MBA, anti-racism training has become more prevalent, with 85% of companies implementing it by 2021. However, some argue that these trainings, especially when they highlight historical and systemic racism, risk unfairly targeting white employees. Legal expert Kenji Yoshino from NYU cautioned that while training on unconscious bias can be beneficial, it “can cross into illegal harassment if they perpetuate negative stereotypes.”
In Young’s case, his lawsuit was dismissed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, but the court noted that the training’s “ideological messaging” and “race-based rhetoric” were concerning. Young has since refiled his suit, alleging the training created a hostile work environment. Meanwhile, some DEI practitioners are adjusting their approaches, with Robin DiAngelo, author of White Fragility, emphasizing “inclusion” over systemic racism to reduce defensive responses during training. The legal and social debates surrounding DEI training continue to evolve, reflecting the complexities and tensions in addressing bias in the workplace.
Link: Washington Post
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