Dodgers DEI efforts subject of federal civil rights complaint filed by conservative legal group

New York Times

4 days ago

A conservative legal group co-founded by White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller has filed a federal civil rights complaint accusing the Los Angeles Dodgers of 'apparently engaging in unlawful discrimination under the guise of 'diversity, equity, and inclusion.''
The complaint was filed Monday with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by America First Legal, less than two weeks after the Dodgers said they denied federal immigration authorities access to Dodger Stadium parking lots.
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The Dodgers declined to comment Wednesday about the complaint, which also named their ownership group, Guggenheim Partners. The EEOC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Miller is seen as the architect of Trump's immigration policy, which has involved the detaining and deporting of tens of thousands of immigrants and attempting to end birthright citizenship.
While the civil rights complaint focuses on diversity efforts, America First Legal mentioned the situation between the Dodgers and federal immigration officials in its news release about the complaint.
Los Angeles is one of several cities affected by the Trump administration's militarized immigration raids and protests over immigration policy. The Dodgers have faced criticism from some fans who have called on the team to do more to support immigrants in the wake of the crackdown.
On June 19, the Dodgers said federal authorities showed up at Dodger Stadium's Gate A and requested access, which was denied. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement at the time that the vehicles were there 'unrelated to any operation or enforcement' and that the activity 'had nothing to do with the Dodgers.'
The next day, the team committed $1 million toward assistance for families affected by the immigration raids in the city.
The Dodgers are the latest organization AFL has taken on for their diversity efforts, joining a group that includes universities and companies like IBM and Johnson & Johnson. The legal group has pursued an agenda aligned with the Trump Administration when it comes to seeking to end diversity efforts; in January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting diversity efforts in the federal government.
Opponents say the Trump administration's actions target crucial programs such as medical research and care for women or LGBTQ people.
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AFL singled out a page of the Dodgers' website that includes a mission 'to create a culture where diverse voices and experiences are valued.' The site outlines efforts to recruit women and people of color, partner with community groups to support racial and social justice and promote heritage events for staff and fans. The complaint also names the Dodgers' professional groups for employees, such as the Black Action Network and Women's Opportunity Network.
'The DEI mission statement indicates that the Dodgers are incorporating DEI into its workplace in quantifiable ways with identifiable goals to achieve 'success,' which appears to entail engaging in unlawful discriminatory hiring, training, and recruitment,' AFL stated in its complaint.
Conservatives have targeted diversity and equity efforts, arguing that they amount to discrimination, while proponents of such programs say that DEI seeks to lessen discrimination by supporting historically disadvantaged groups.
Jared Rivera, chief of staff of Pico California, one of the organizing groups that called on the Dodgers to do more for immigrants, said the complaint amounts to retaliation.
'Stephen Miller's group is dressing up vengeance as legal action,' Rivera said. 'Retaliating against the Dodgers for their compassion shows Miller is threatened when the team and its fans stand up for what is moral and right.'
The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya contributed to this report.