McDonald’s, the fast-food giant, is facing a lawsuit over its scholarship program aimed at Latino and Hispanic students. The American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER), a group opposed to affirmative action, filed the complaint in Nashville, alleging that the program is discriminatory because it only opens scholarships to Hispanic and Latino high school students.
The lawsuit comes days after McDonald’s joined other companies in rolling back or ditching diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The burger chain has awarded over $33 million in college scholarships to more than 17,000 students since 1985, but the AAER claims that this is not enough.
“We are in the process of reviewing the complaint and will respond to it accordingly,” McDonald’s said in a statement. However, the company announced its evolution on inclusion work last week, stating that part of this process will be reviewing programs to ensure they align with their vision moving forward.
This lawsuit is one of several legal challenges to DEI policies filed after the 2023 Supreme Court decision prohibiting affirmative action in college admissions. While some companies have dropped their diversity goals, others continue to maintain and defend DEI practices.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/mcdonalds-sued-over-latino-scholarships-162840446.html