A conservative legal group filed a federal civil rights complaint against the Los Angeles Dodgers and investment firm Guggenheim Partners on Monday, alleging the organizations engage in unlawful discrimination through their diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The complaint marks the latest challenge to corporate DEI initiatives under the Trump administration's renewed enforcement of civil rights law.
America First Legal, founded by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, filed the complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming both entities violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Mark Walter, who leads both organizations as the Dodgers' majority owner and Guggenheim's CEO, recently acquired majority ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers in a $10 billion deal.
The filing targets specific language on the Dodgers' DEI website, which states the team is "sponsoring programs geared to women and people of color" and "embedding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategies into every aspect of the organization"12. America First Legal argues these practices amount to discrimination based on race, color and sex.
The complaint also challenges the team's Business Resource Groups, including the Asian Professionals, Black Action Network, and Women's Opportunity Network, alleging some groups "appear to provide material employment benefits to employees based on their race, color, sex, or national origin"1.
"Their employment practices appear to discriminate against employees, or prospective employees, solely because of their skin color or sex. This is patently unlawful," the complaint states1.
The filing comes amid broader federal scrutiny of diversity programs following President Trump's executive orders targeting DEI initiatives1. Major League Baseball removed "diversity" references from its careers website in March, stating it was evaluating programs "for any modifications to eligibility criteria that are needed to ensure our programs are compliant with federal law"2.
"Our values on diversity remain unchanged," MLB said in a statement at the time2. Commissioner Rob Manfred acknowledged the review, saying the league must "comply with what the law is" while noting "there seems to be an evolution going on here"2.
The complaint follows the Dodgers' recent clash with federal immigration enforcement. On June 19, the team denied U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to Dodger Stadium, though the Department of Homeland Security disputed this account1. The Dodgers subsequently pledged $1 million to support immigrant families facing economic hardship2.
The New York Yankees have maintained their commitment to diversity efforts despite the national rollbacks, with senior vice president Brian Smith stating in April that "our dedication towards these efforts remains unchanged"3.
Neither the Dodgers nor Guggenheim Partners responded to requests for comment32.
