Vendors worried about new rules on racial diversity training
Concerns about legality & implementation; OPM halts current trainings; attorneys advise compliance for now
Federal contractors are alarmed about several recent orders from the Trump Administration to strictly avoid “race or sex stereotyping” and “race or sex scapegoating” in any diversity trainings or communications that they provide to the government or to their own employees or subcontractors.
The White House in an Executive Order on Sept. 22 said that trainings involving such “divisive concepts” must be canceled immediately and that contractors soon will be required to submit copies of their diversity training materials for review. The Office of Personnel Management suspended all current diversity training contracts and the Labor Dept. followed up with new rules.
Contractors are being ordered to comply with the new rules starting on Nov. 22 or face possible contract termination, suspension or debarment.
Vendors are objecting strongly to the executive order and say it may infringe on their constitutional rights. Critics include 11 business and technology organizations that signed a letter saying the order should be revoked
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