Major Cell Company Vows To Kill DEI Day After Board Member Says It’s ‘Alive And Well’

Verizon is scrapping all of its diversity, equity and inclusion programs “effective immediately” after months of prodding from Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr.

In a letter Carr publicized Friday morning, Verizon’s chief legal officer outlined a company-wide purge of DEI metrics, job titles and training material, pledging that any future personnel or supplier decisions will “focus on advancing core business objectives” rather than demographic targets. The move follows Carr’s February letter questioning Verizon’s compliance with civil rights law in the wake of President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting DEI practices across the private sector.

“Verizon recognizes that some DEI policies and practices could be associated with discrimination,” Vandana Venkatesh, the company’s chief legal officer, wrote. “Verizon is making these changes to its practices not just in name or in the way they are described, but in substance. These changes are effective immediately.”

Verizon said it has dismantled its standalone DEI time, erased DEI language from employee training and career development tracks, dropped workforce representation goals from management bonuses and stripped supplier diversity quotas. Employee resource groups will stay open to “all, regardless of race, gender or other characteristics,” but the company vows they will receive no special treatment in hiring or promotions.

The overhaul marks a sharp pivot from comments Mark Bertolini, Verizon’s board finance committee chair, made Wednesday at Axios’ inaugural Future of Health Summit, where