US EEOC Drops Nike Subpoena Lawsuit After Company Provides Information

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has dropped a lawsuit against Nike seeking to enforce a subpoena in an investigation into the company’s treatment of white employees and job applicants.

US District Judge Cristian Stevens in St. Louis, Missouri, approved the EEOC’s request to dismiss the case after the agency said Nike had complied with the subpoena and provided the requested information. The EEOC had sought data including the racial and ethnic composition of Nike’s workforce and details of employees selected for mentoring and development programmes. The agency is examining whether Nike discriminated against white employees and applicants, including through layoffs.

The dismissal of the subpoena case does not mean the investigation has ended. The EEOC will continue examining the information provided by Nike to determine whether federal workplace discrimination laws were violated.

The probe began through a commissioner’s charge initiated in May 2024 by EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas.