Nation’s Restaurant News Interviews Jonathan Brown: How DEI Pushback is Reshaping the Restaurant Industry

Shortly after taking office for the second time, President Donald Trump released a flurry of executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs — touting them as “discriminatory” and in possible violation of “the civil-rights laws of this nation.” In response, many companies, including McDonald’s, have already begun to dismantle or change their DEI programs.

In an interview with Nation’s Restaurant News, Senior Associate Jonathan Brown explained how the Trump administration’s rollback of DEI initiatives could have a chilling effect on diversity efforts within the restaurant industry.

“While Title VII protections remain in place, the administration’s anti-DEI stance brings increased legal scrutiny to diversity focused employment decisions such as hiring and promotion,” Brown said. “Employers who aggressively scale back DEI policies may open themselves up to reverse discrimination claims, adding another layer of legal risk.”

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