FCC tearing diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs?

I’m an accessibility advisor for the transportation company Los Angeles Metro. One day, I saw the name of the office my people work in call itself the “Office of Civil Rights Racial Equity & Inclusion.”

That is because the accessibility unit merged with other departments who work together.

Back in 2018, I was struck by a gentleman who is no longer aloud to come on to Metro property except for business purposes.

This office investigated Racial issues after he was not allowed to continue being on the AAC at the steering committee’s recommendation, not Metros.

I was called by this office and asked what happened and I told them everything I could. Off the record, they did tell me that there was no racial issue here.

The AAC comprises people with different backgrounds, including disability; to give feedback and suggestions to Metro and their ongoing programs they have.

While the FCC has no oversite on this, they have oversite on ISP activity, and all kinds of companies have built what is known as DEI programs.

DEI stands for diversity, equity and inclusion.

The opening of this story says:

It’s shaping up to be a big year for telecom mergers, and it appears the Federal Communications Commission is eager to approve the deals—as long as companies involved drop any DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policies criticized by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. Verizon just got a big merger approved, and cable giant Charter is seeking permission to buy Cox.

Without these programs, this means you can do what you want, and have no recourse because the worst that’ll happen is that you could be sued. Key word is could. I’m not a lawyer.

The FCC on Friday announced approval of Verizon’s purchase of Frontier, one day after Verizon committed to end DEI policies in a filing with the commission. Carr previously sent letters to Verizon and other companies alleging that their diversity policies are “invidious forms of discrimination” that violate federal law and threatened to block mergers pursued by firms that enforce such policies.

“Verizon has now agreed to end its DEI policies as specified in a new FCC filing,” Carr wrote in a post on X. “These changes are effective immediately. A good step forward for equal opportunity, nondiscrimination, and the public interest.”

In later paragraphs Verizon even went so far as to say that it could be discrimination to have such programs.

What do you guys think? Thanks, Michael for sending this. I’ve sent this to my Metro list.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr is letting ISPs merge—as long as they end DEI programs is the article.

I am not an expert in this subject, but I do expect that people agree that this type of thing is necessary.