Harley-Davidson (HOG) has decided to discontinue its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) program, which was designed to foster fairness and equity within the organization, following a controversy on social media.
"We view it as the responsibility of every leader to ensure our workforce mirrors our customers and the regions in which we operate," the company posted on X/Twitter.
"It is essential to our business that we recruit and retain the best talent and ensure all employees feel welcome," the statement continued. "However, we have not operated a DEI function since April 2024, and we do not have a DEI function today. We do not implement hiring quotas, nor do we maintain supplier diversity spending goals."
The Milwaukee-based company encountered significant backlash for its diversity initiatives after social-media influencer Robby Starbuck highlighted what he called their controversial internal policies, accusing the company of endorsing a diversity agenda.
"We are disheartened by the negative social media discourse over the past few weeks, which seems intended to divide the Harley-Davidson community," the company added.
Reacting to Harley-Davidson's decision, Starbuck told Fox News Digital, "We have a movement to dismantle DEI and wokeism in corporate America and restore some sanity to the workplace."
Federal DEI initiatives have also faced criticism from the current Republican vice-presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, who described them as a "destructive ideology that breeds hatred and racial division," as reported by The Hill.
