Trump Revokes Equal Employment Opportunity Act in New Executive Order

Us Desk: President Donald Trump has rolled back the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1965, marking another addition to a series of executive orders issued during his tenure.

The original order, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 24, 1965, was a landmark policy prohibiting discrimination in federal workplaces and among federal contractors based on race, color, religion, and national origin. It was later amended to include protections against sex-based discrimination. The act served as a cornerstone in promoting workplace diversity and inclusion for historically marginalized groups, including Black Americans, Native Americans, and Latine communities.

Trump’s executive order, issued on January 21, claims the promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives undermines principles of merit and equality. In a statement, the White House described DEI as fostering “divisive and dangerous preferential hierarchy” in place of hard work and individual aptitude.

The executive order further criticized DEI policies for threatening national safety, particularly in sectors such as government, healthcare, law enforcement, and aviation. Trump stated that such policies “diminish the importance of individual merit, aptitude, hard work, and determination” in hiring decisions.

In addition to revoking the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, Trump mandated that federal employees return to in-person work full-time, ending remote work arrangements established during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the January 20 directive, federal departments and agencies must take immediate steps to ensure all employees return to their duty stations.

This latest executive action follows a string of controversial orders, including the reversal of birthright citizenship and the signing of an anti-trans order asserting there are “only two sexes,” a claim widely debunked by legal and scientific experts.

The revocation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act has sparked widespread criticism from civil rights advocates, who view it as a rollback of decades of progress toward workplace equality and inclusivity.

Corporatenews24,Mehrab