The telecom company informed federal regulators it has eliminated all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, aligning with a broader corporate trend away from such initiatives.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
AT&T has formally ended all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across its operations, joining a growing list of major corporations reversing course amid heightened legal and regulatory scrutiny under the Trump administration.
In a Dec. 1 letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the company stated it has removed DEI-related programs “not just in name but in substance.” The filing came as part of AT&T’s bid to acquire spectrum licenses from U.S. Cellular valued at roughly $1 billion.
AT&T said it has “adjusted its employment and business practices to ensure that they comply with all applicable laws,” emphasizing that hiring, promotion, and training will “not be based on or limited by race, gender, or other protected characteristics.” The company said it has eliminated DEI training, sponsorships unrelated to core business goals, and employee surveys focused on protected demographic categories. AT&T also confirmed it no longer uses DEI metrics in supplier selection and has removed all DEI-designated roles.
“AT&T has always stood for merit-based opportunity,” the company wrote, “and we are pleased to reaffirm our commitment to equal employment opportunity and nondiscrimination.”
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, appointed by President Donald Trump, praised the company’s decision, noting that AT&T had “memorialized its commitment to ending DEI-related policies in an FCC filing.” He said the rollback followed similar steps taken after public pressure from conservative commentator Robby Starbuck.
Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez criticized the move, calling it “a strategic financial play to curry favor with this FCC and administration,” and warned that abandoning inclusion “for short-term gain will be a stain to their reputation long into the future.”
Part of a Broader Corporate Shift
AT&T’s action follows similar decisions by other major corporations scaling back DEI policies in response to legal changes and administrative directives. T-Mobile ended its DEI initiatives in July while seeking approval for mergers and acquisitions, including a $4.4 billion deal with U.S. Cellular. Verizon dropped its DEI programs during its $20 billion Frontier Communications bid earlier this year.
Other large companies—including Ford, McDonald’s, John Deere, Walmart, Nissan, Toyota, Molson Coors, Citibank, and Meta—have restructured or discontinued DEI programs, citing compliance with new federal standards following the Supreme Court’s 2023 affirmative action ruling and Trump’s executive orders prohibiting race- or sex-based preferences.
Disney Scales Back DEI Language Amid FCC Inquiry
The Walt Disney Co. removed DEI references from its 2025 SEC filing—the first omission in five years—while facing an FCC investigation into its employment practices. Carr ordered the probe in March, citing Disney’s “amplify underrepresented voices” initiatives as potential violations of federal equal employment standards.
Disney said it is reviewing the FCC’s request and plans to cooperate with the inquiry.
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