Employees in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) offices across various agencies have been placed on paid administrative leave, as per a post by White House press secretary. The Office of Personnel Management issued a memo instructing agencies to inform DEIA staff members by a specific deadline that they were being placed on immediate administrative leave. This action is part of the agencies' efforts to close down all DEIA initiatives, offices, and programs.
The memo further directs agencies to take down the websites and social media accounts of these DEIA offices and to cancel any related training programs. This decision follows closely after an executive order signed by the President to ban DEIA programs. During a briefing call with reporters, an official emphasized that the executive order aimed to dismantle the DEIA bureaucracy, which includes environmental justice programs, equity-related grants, action plans, and initiatives.
