![John Deere ended its sponsorship of diversity events and revised training to comply with laws, facing backlash.](https://san.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/john-deere-DEI-CLEAN-GETTY.jpg?w=1920)
John Deere steps back from diversity initiatives amid criticism
By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Emma Stoltzfus (Video Editor)
Farm equipment manufacturer John Deere is the latest company to announce that it will no longer sponsor “social or cultural awareness” events. The move follows a trend among major U.S. companies to scale back on diversity and inclusion initiatives amid conservative criticism. The Illinois-based company also plans to review its training materials and remove any “socially-motivated messages” to ensure compliance with federal and local laws.
Media Landscape
See who else is reporting on this story and which side of the political spectrum they lean. To read other sources, click on the plus signs below. Learn more about this dataBias Distribution
Left
John Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on The IndependentJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on Associated Press NewsJohn Deere drops diversity initiatives, pledges to no longer join ‘social or cultural awareness parades’
Click to see story on USA TodayJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on Hindustan TimesJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on abc NewsJohn Deere backs away from diversity and inclusion efforts after a conservative backlash
Click to see story on CNNDeere dials back DEI presence, cuts ‘socially motivated messages’
Click to see story on The Washington PostJohn Deere rolls back DEI policies having come under fire from conservatives, saying it won’t take part in events like Pride or have a pronoun policy
Click to see story on Business InsiderJohn Deere to abandon Pride festival sponsorships following online right-wing pressure campaign
Click to see story on NBC NewsJohn Deere to abandon ‘social or cultural awareness’ events and inclusion efforts
Click to see story on NBC MiamiJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on The Belgrade NewsJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on CTV NewsJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on KVIAJohn Deere no longer sponsoring ‘social or cultural awareness’ events
Click to see story on The HillJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on WPLGIllinois-based John Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on Chicago TribuneJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on WKMGDeere dials back DEI presence, cuts ‘socially motivated messages’
Click to see story on Portland Press HeraldJohn Deere backs away from DEI support
Click to see story on The Billings GazetteJohn Deere joins ranks of companies slashing DE&I, cultural awareness initiatives
Click to see story on Penn LiveJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on KCCIJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on KOB 4John Deere will no longer sponsor ‘social or cultural awareness’ events
Click to see story on FortuneJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on KCRGJohn Deere joins ranks of companies slashing DE&I, cultural awareness initiatives
Click to see story on The Bradford EraJohn Deere cuts some DEI initiatives after online criticism – Radio Iowa
Click to see story on Radio IowaJohn Deere steps back from diversity initiatives amid criticism
Click to see story on Straight Arrow NewsDeere rolls back diversity, equity, inclusion initiatives after conservative backlash
Click to see story on The Quad-City TimesJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on KPTVJohn Deere Rolls Back DEI Measures After Backlash
Click to see story on The Epoch TimesJohn Deere Distances Itself from DEI, Despite Earlier Commitments
Click to see story on National ReviewJohn Deere Hoists the White Flag and Abandons DEI (Mostly)
Click to see story on RedStateJohn Deere moves away from ‘socially motivated messages,’ eliminates DEI initiatives after backlash
Click to see story on The Post MillennialJohn Deere Commits to Ending Controversial DEI Policies Including ‘Pronoun Identification’ and ‘Diversity Quotas’
Click to see story on The Ohio StarRight
Untracked Bias
John Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on My Mother LodeJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts – The Morning Sun
Click to see story on Morning SunJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on The Journal RecordJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on The DispatchJohn Deere Latest Brand To Pull Support For Pride Events As US Culture Wars Heat Up
Click to see story on B&TOur customers’ trust and confidence in us are of the utmost importance to everyone at John Deere. We fully intend to earn it every day and in every way we can. pic.twitter.com/8BgyPyQJQo
— John Deere (@JohnDeere) July 16, 2024
“The existence of diversity quotas and pronoun identification have never been and are not company policy,” John Deere said in a statement.
This shift echoes a recent move by Tractor Supply, which also scaled back its corporate diversity and climate efforts following online pushback led by conservative figures.
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John Deere’s decision has not gone unnoticed or unchallenged. Civil rights and advocacy groups quickly voiced their concerns following the announcement. The National Black Farmers Association called out the potential setbacks to diversity and inclusion efforts in the business world.
Critics also pointed out that this decision comes one month after John Deere agreed to pay $1.1 million in back wages to 277 Black and Hispanic job applicants following accusations of hiring discrimination by the Labor Department.
[KARAH RUCKER]
FARM EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER JOHN DEERE — IS THE LATEST COMPANY TO ANNOUNCE —
IT WILL NO LONGER SPONSOR “SOCIAL OR CULTURAL AWARENESS” EVENTS.
THE MOVE FOLLOWS A TREND AMONG MAJOR U-S COMPANIES TO SCALE BACK ON DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES AMID CONSERVATIVE CRITICISM.
THE ILLINOIS BASED COMPANY ALSO PLANS TO REVIEW ITS TRAINING MATERIALS TO REMOVE ANY “SOCIALLY-MOTIVATED MESSAGES” —
TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL AND LOCAL LAWS. IN A POST ON X THE COMPANY SAID:
“The existence of diversity quotas and pronoun identification have never been and are not company policy.”
THIS SHIFT ECHOES A RECENT MOVE BY TRACTOR SUPPLY — WHICH ALSO SCALED BACK ITS CORPORATE DIVERSITY AND CLIMATE EFFORTS —
FOLLOWING ONLINE PUSHBACK LED BY CONSERVATIVE FIGURES.
JOHN DEERE’S DECISION HAS NOT GONE UNNOTICED OR UNCHALLENGED.
CIVIL RIGHTS AND ADVOCACY GROUPS QUICKLY VOICED THEIR CONCERNS FOLLOWING JOHN DEERE’S ANNOUNCEMENT —
WITH THE NATIONAL BLACK FARMERS ASSOCIATION HIGHLIGHTING THE POTENTIAL SETBACKS TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION EFFORTS IN THE BUSINESS WORLD.
THEY ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THIS DECISION COMES JUST ONE MONTH AFTER JOHN DEERE AGREED TO PAY $1-POINT-1 MILLION DOLLARS —
IN BACK WAGES TO 2-HUNDRED AND 77 BLACK AND HISPANIC JOB APPLICANTS —
FOLLOWING ACCUSATIONS OF HIRING DISCRIMINATION BY THE LABOR DEPARTMENT.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.
FOR MORE OF OUR UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACT REPORTING, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT US AT SAN – DOT – COM.
Media Landscape
See who else is reporting on this story and which side of the political spectrum they lean. To read other sources, click on the plus signs below. Learn more about this dataBias Distribution
Left
John Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on The IndependentJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on Associated Press NewsJohn Deere drops diversity initiatives, pledges to no longer join ‘social or cultural awareness parades’
Click to see story on USA TodayJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on Hindustan TimesJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on abc NewsJohn Deere backs away from diversity and inclusion efforts after a conservative backlash
Click to see story on CNNDeere dials back DEI presence, cuts ‘socially motivated messages’
Click to see story on The Washington PostJohn Deere rolls back DEI policies having come under fire from conservatives, saying it won’t take part in events like Pride or have a pronoun policy
Click to see story on Business InsiderJohn Deere to abandon Pride festival sponsorships following online right-wing pressure campaign
Click to see story on NBC NewsJohn Deere to abandon ‘social or cultural awareness’ events and inclusion efforts
Click to see story on NBC MiamiJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on The Belgrade NewsJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on CTV NewsJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on KVIAJohn Deere no longer sponsoring ‘social or cultural awareness’ events
Click to see story on The HillJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on WPLGIllinois-based John Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on Chicago TribuneJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on WKMGDeere dials back DEI presence, cuts ‘socially motivated messages’
Click to see story on Portland Press HeraldJohn Deere backs away from DEI support
Click to see story on The Billings GazetteJohn Deere joins ranks of companies slashing DE&I, cultural awareness initiatives
Click to see story on Penn LiveJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on KCCIJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on KOB 4John Deere will no longer sponsor ‘social or cultural awareness’ events
Click to see story on FortuneJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on KCRGJohn Deere joins ranks of companies slashing DE&I, cultural awareness initiatives
Click to see story on The Bradford EraJohn Deere cuts some DEI initiatives after online criticism – Radio Iowa
Click to see story on Radio IowaJohn Deere steps back from diversity initiatives amid criticism
Click to see story on Straight Arrow NewsDeere rolls back diversity, equity, inclusion initiatives after conservative backlash
Click to see story on The Quad-City TimesJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on KPTVJohn Deere Rolls Back DEI Measures After Backlash
Click to see story on The Epoch TimesJohn Deere Distances Itself from DEI, Despite Earlier Commitments
Click to see story on National ReviewJohn Deere Hoists the White Flag and Abandons DEI (Mostly)
Click to see story on RedStateJohn Deere moves away from ‘socially motivated messages,’ eliminates DEI initiatives after backlash
Click to see story on The Post MillennialJohn Deere Commits to Ending Controversial DEI Policies Including ‘Pronoun Identification’ and ‘Diversity Quotas’
Click to see story on The Ohio StarRight
Untracked Bias
John Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on My Mother LodeJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts – The Morning Sun
Click to see story on Morning SunJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on The Journal RecordJohn Deere ends support of ‘social or cultural awareness’ events, distances from inclusion efforts
Click to see story on The DispatchJohn Deere Latest Brand To Pull Support For Pride Events As US Culture Wars Heat Up
Click to see story on B&TUnbiased news.
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