Future of DEI: Q&A

Starbucks DEI beats Missouri Attorney GeneralListen: https://open.substack.com/.../starbucks-dei-beats...Late last week, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Missouri Attorney General challenging Starbucks’ diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Viewed through the lens of ISO-30415 (Diversity & Inclusion Service Management), the decision offers a clear, real-world demonstration of why companies benefit from grounding their DEI work in an internationally recognized management standard.Read the transcript here https://www.inclusionscore.org/post/how-starbucks-dei-beat-missouri-attorney-general#DEI #DEINews #ISO30415

On Friday - February 6th, a unanimous three-judge panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower-court decision that had blocked implementation of key provisions of President Trump’s anti-DEI executive orders. In practical terms, the court held that the executive orders are likely lawful and allowed them to remain in effect while litigation continues.The court’s 30-page decision is linked in the article below. I want to highlight one aspect of the ruling because it speaks directly to the phrase that has generated more confusion than almost any other over the past year: “illegal DEI.”This is not a new issue for me. Long before this ruling, Dawn Bennett-Alexander and I co-authored an article specifically addressing the concept of “illegal DEI,” precisely because the term was being used imprecisely—by critics and supporters alike—in ways that obscured what the law actually permits and prohibits.Ever since the January 2025 executive order titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity”—which uses the phrase “illegal DEI”—I have consistently emphasized two points:⏺️ “DEI” itself is not illegal.DEI is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide range of organizational practices across governance, human resources, product delivery, and supply chains. Treating the entire category as unlawful is both legally inaccurate and analytically unserious.And at the same time:⏺️ Some practices labeled as “DEI” can be illegal if they are designed or implemented in ways that violate existing anti-discrimination laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.I continue to encounter DEI opponents who fail to grasp the first point, and DEI proponents who fail to grasp the second. This court ruling makes clear that both points are true—and compatible.The Fourth Circuit underscored that:❌ The executive order did not create a new legal category called “illegal DEI,” nor did it render all DEI programs unlawful. The President lacks the authority to rewrite civil-rights law by executive fiat.✅ What the order does require is certification of compliance with existing law. Federal contractors and grant recipients must attest that their DEI-related activities conform to already-established civil-rights obligations.This distinction aligns precisely with how DEI is treated under ISO-30415, which frames diversity and inclusion as a service-management and governance system, not as an ideological project. Under the standard, DEI programs are expected to be auditable, risk-managed, and compliant with applicable laws in the jurisdictions where organizations operate. In other words, lawful compliance is not incidental to DEI—it is foundational.For those who still insist that all DEI is illegal, you do not need to take my word for it. The court itself noted that the Trump administration “represented at oral argument that there is ‘absolutely’ DEI activity that falls comfortably within the confines of the law.”That statement alone should end the debate.DEI is not inherently illegal.Illegal discrimination is illegal.And responsible DEI—when governed, measured, and implemented correctly—using the ISO-30415 Standard your organization will find themselves squarely within the law.#DEI #DEINews #ISO30415 inclusionscore.org/news

Supreme Court sides with straight woman in 'reverse discrimination' caseThe court said members of a majority group don't face an extra hurdle when alleging 'reverse discrimination' in the workplace.More at inclusionscore.org

Supreme Court sides with straight woman in 'reverse discrimination' caseThe court said members of a majority group don't face an extra hurdle when alleging 'reverse discrimination' in the workplace.This is an AI explainer of what is happening in workforce resilience and the courts, based on the June 5th SCOTUS decision. It also covers AI in employment practices liability insurance.

Meet Rowan & Alex, they were generated by @PathakaAI to lead a podcast on the prompt to podcast on implementing the DEI standard ISO-30415. We listened to the entire things with a critical ear and after laughing and being in shock, we think that it is 100% accurate and informative based on the many that we've done here. We hope that this is a relatively easy way for you all to communicate with stakeholders and clients what the DEI Standard is and how/why it may be used in their organizations.

We are sharing from the JFK Values Podcast. Code-Switching And Other Strategies Leaders Can Use To Support Gender EquityPreviously published at Forbeshttps://www.inclusionscore.org/post/code-switching-and-gender-equityThis is another #Inclusionism #Podcast with reflections on his experience working in #DEI with #ISO30415

Appeals Court Ruling on #DEIWhile Trump’s executive orders are temporarily back in force, this ruling is more complex than a simple “win” or “loss” for DEI.https://www.inclusionscore.org/post/appeals-court-ruling-on-dei#ISO30415

We’ve received hundreds of messages about the future of DEI work globally based on the American President. 🚨 Process is going to be more important than ever before. Join us for the answers. We've got answers to your questions about DEI across international borders. Join us and Linda Espinosa Valencia, Ana Maria Desmaison Cornejo, and James Felton Keith for this Live Stream.Register to get certified in ISO-30415 at DISMForum.com

It's the ⁠Ama Agyapong⁠ show at ISO-30415:DISM Forum as Ama, the EEO Auditor interviews Employment Attorney, Mahir Nisar on how to protect yourself in the workplace and what employment practices liability look like. They also set the record straight on the role of Human Resources. Learn more about the ISO-30415 standard at inclusionscore.org

It's the Ama Agyapong show at ISO-30415:DISM Forum as she interviews author of Ausome Girl, Carla Moultrie about being the mother of an autistic child and bring retaliated about it for being a whistleblower at work. Learn more about the ISO-30415 standard at inclusionscore.org