by Jeroslyn JoVonn
December 23, 2025
The publishing giant is the latest company to be targeted by a conservative legal group over its DEI policies.
Conservative anti-DEI organization America First Legal is calling on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate alleged “unlawful hiring and promotion practices” at publishing giant Penguin Random House.
On December 16, the group published an open letter on Penguin Random House's website calling out diversity, equity and inclusion policies that, according to America First Legal, “serve to exclude white men,” alleging a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“By focusing its 'DEI efforts' on populations that include only white men, PRH has developed policies that appear to effectively exclude this population from preferential consideration of other groups,” America First Legal wrote.
America First Legal highlights the five pillars of Penguin Random House's DEI strategy, including holding leaders accountable for results and integrating DEI into recruiting and retention efforts, among others. Citing the company's 2024 demographic data comparing white and BIPOC employees, America First Legal claims that Penguin Random House “proudly states that although 'the publishing industry has made modest progress in increasing racial diversity since 2019, … Penguin Random House outperforms the industry average in most categories.”
The open letter to Penguin Random House is America First Legal's latest campaign against the DEI policies of companies that allegedly violate the law. In November 2023, the group alleged that American, United and Southwest Airlines' DEI practices similarly violated Title VII by discriminating in hiring and recruiting. While the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs met with the airlines to review OFCCP regulations, there was no indication that the airlines had violated the law or that policy changes were needed.
America First Legal has also filed complaints or lawsuits against companies such as Target, CBS Broadcasting and IBM, with several cases pending and some settlements reached. While it is unclear whether previous America First Legal complaints to the EEOC have resulted in agency action, there is a strong possibility that things will change under the second Trump administration.
Are you a white man who has experienced discrimination in the workplace because of your race or gender?
You may have a right to recover funds under federal civil rights laws. Contact the @USEEOC as soon as possible.
The EEOC is committed to identifying, targeting and eliminating ALL races… pic.twitter.com/BYjbld5zdv
— EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas (@andrealucasEEOC) December 17, 2025
In March, the EEOC released guidance outlining how DEI practices could be considered “unlawful,” and recently Chairwoman Andrea Lucas reached out to X encouraging white men to report alleged discrimination. As a result, many companies have begun scaling back their DEI efforts and faced backlash and boycotts in the process.
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