Chick-fil-A came under fire from conservatives this week for criticizing the fast-food chain’s diversity, equity and inclusion policies and questioning the hiring of executives in charge of such efforts.
The backlash has led Chick-fil-A to come under fire recently for sparking a “culture war” that seeks LGBTQ rights and fair treatment for historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. became one of the companies Several companies and brands have also been at the center of such criticism in recent months, including Bud Light, Target and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chick-fil-A itself has been controversial in the past, but more typically from the left.
“Chick-fil-A has woken up”
This week, many conservatives criticized Chick-fil-A for corporate policy on the website The document, titled “Committed to being Better at Together,” details the company’s focus on “ensuring equal access,” “respecting differences,” and “building a culture of belonging.” It has been.
Critics also point to the chain’s hiring of Eric McReynolds as head of the DEI effort, which is also not a new development.
Wade Miller, executive director of the Center for Renewing America, a conservative think tank, cited the policy, saying: twitter He said he could no longer support the company as a customer. “All good things must come to an end.”
Former Justice Department official Jeff Clarke, who has been implicated in former President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, said: twitter Chick-fil-A’s policy was “disappointing,” he said.
“Chick-fil-A has awakened,” wrote Ian Miles Chong. Right-wing commentator with 625,000 followers on Twitter. Conservative critic Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA shared a similar sentiment with his 2.2 million followers.
Chick-fil-A has long had such a policy, so it’s unclear why only its DEI efforts are now drawing criticism. As for McReynolds, company records show he has been the company’s vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion since at least 2020.
The chain, known for its fried chicken sandwiches and waffle fries, declined to comment Wednesday.
Chick-fil-A has faced controversies over “social justice” in the past.
Chick-fil-A has been in the spotlight for inclusion issues in the past, but for different reasons and in different directions.
Chick-fil-A was founded by S. Tuyet Cathy, a religious man who wanted to close his business on Sundays so his employees could rest and worship as they wished. The company claims that its corporate purpose is “to glorify God by being faithful stewards of all that is entrusted to us,” and that by donating to the groups that have brought the lawsuits, it is conservative. It was consistent with a great cause. to stop the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States.
In 2012, the company’s president and chief operating officer spoke out in favor of traditional marriage, sparking outcry from same-sex marriage advocates. The company has also been criticized for closing on Sundays for religious reasons.
Under pressure, the company later stopped almost all donations to groups opposed to equal rights for people of different sexual orientations.
The chicken chain was again criticized in 2019 for making charitable donations to the Salvation Army and Christian Athlete Fellowships, which were criticized by LGBTQ advocates. The company has since stopped donating to those organizations.
What exactly is the DEI policy?
For decades, companies have had policies that promote some form of diversity, equity and inclusion, primarily to avoid discrimination based on race, gender and religion. In recent years, these policies have increasingly been summarized under his DEI acronym.
Evooma Onyador, a professor at Northwestern University who has researched how people perceive discrimination and inequality, says companies have “employees, customers and customers from marginalized backgrounds who are dominant.” We have DEI policies in place to ensure that we have the same experience for our employees, customers and customers for all groups.” Or the background is well represented. “
These policies “send a signal to employees from marginalized backgrounds and those of racial minorities that companies care about the employee experience,” said Dr. Oniaador. . “That’s the advantage of these programs.”
Stephanie Cleary, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania whose research focuses on workplace inclusion, said DEI efforts have traditionally focused on issues such as anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies, mentoring and sponsorship programs. said it came.
Over the years, Dr. Clary said, “DEI practice has grown in scope, particularly in its focus on differences, including religious values.”
Chick-fil-A stepped up its policy after George Floyd’s protests.
Experts say the DEI’s efforts have stepped up after the 2020 police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor sparked nationwide protests calling for social justice and police accountability. said.
“The Floyd moment felt like a change,” Dr. Oniaador said. “This moment in 2020, the last decade when black lives matter, has brought many discussions to the forefront in a particularly unique way.”
Alvin Tillery, director of the Center for Diversity and Democracy Studies at Northwestern University, said the summer 2020 protests have left many employees, especially younger ones, “actively committed to racial justice.” It has become clear to the company, he said.
“Corporate diversity programs have moved from this kind of benign discussion of hiring and unconscious bias to a more aggressive discussion of accountability for anti-racism and gender equality,” said Dr. Tillery.
inside reportChick-fil-A announced in 2020 that its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts “is a new way to combat systemic or subtle racism across the communities we serve.” has taken on special importance for us in our active pursuit of
The report did not explicitly mention social justice protests that year, but the company held dozens of hearing sessions “to better understand and address racial injustice.” said to have been held.
These efforts influenced the company’s plans to “address racial injustice,” according to the report.
Businesses are currently embroiled in a political shootout.
U.S. businesses must comply with federal laws that: Civil Rights Act of 1964, Equal Pay Act 1963 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 – It is illegal to discriminate against anyone based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, or disability.
Dr. Tillery said many companies have DEI policies in place to avoid potential consequences of discriminatory practices.
“If companies don’t want to face lawsuits and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaints, it makes sense for companies to have fairness policies to ensure there is no racial disparity,” Dr Tillery said. rice field.
Some companies see DEI as part of their moral commitment to justice and higher ideals. Dr Onyorador added that many see it as “the business case for diversity.”
She described it as “the idea that companies that are more diverse or have a more inclusive culture will perform better.”
This has put companies like Chick-fil-A at odds with some customers. It has also sparked a political backlash among Republican lawmakers seeking to appeal to conservative voters. In Florida, for example, Republican presidential candidate Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed a bill to stop funding diversity programs at the state’s public universities.
Dr Onyorador said he believes conservatives are conflating the expansion of their DEI efforts with their support for other social justice efforts, such as the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Because they are against the DEI policy and ‘wayism’,” Oñador said. this another job. “
