(DailyAnswer.org) – Attorney General of Missouri Andrew Bailey has filed a lawsuit against International Business Machines, accusing the technology giant of discrimination against white, male and Asian applicants for job roles. The lawsuit also alleges that the company forced employees to follow discriminatory policies to link compensation to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion metrics.
The Attorney General told reporters that the lawsuit aimed to end IBM’s “corporate racism”. The company’s policy reportedly includes basing compensation of executives on how enthusiastic they are to meet multiple DEI-based criteria in discriminatory hiring practices. The lawsuit claimed that the tech giant threatens to cut bonuses and eventually dismisses executives who fall short of the DEI targets.
Bailey argued that the “racist” and unlawful” hiring policies of the company went against the state’s Human Rights Act. The Attorney General stressed that the people of Missouri deserve to know why one of the world’s biggest technology and consulting firms, which has offices located in the state, discriminates against both current and prospective members of staff.
In 2023 the company paused advertising on X, formerly known as Twitter, after its ads ran alongside antisemitic content. The company released a statement saying it did not tolerate hate speech or discrimination and that it acted immediately to suspend its advertising while an investigation was underway.
Bailey’s lawsuit lists a total of eight alleged violations, relating to coercing discriminatory practices, aiding discriminatory practices, segregating employment applicants and unlawfully refusing to hire individuals. The Attorney General stressed that the alleged discriminatory practices were not the fault of rogue mid-level managers but were consciously pushed by the company’s most senior figures. Bailey accused the IBM CEO of threatening to sanction executives if they fall short of meeting diversity quotas.
IBM’s internship specifically for “underrepresented” minorities has previously been brought to light. Applicants for the internship had to be from African-American, Hispanic or Indigenous communities. Another internship was only for females and transgender applicants. George Mason University law Professor David Bernstein claimed the programs blatantly violated Title VII, which prohibits hiring based on race and gender.
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