Report: Microsoft shuts down DEI team, ex-lead claims similar programs at risk

According to IGN, Microsoft has just closed down a "major" team focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The cuts occurred last week and may signal a larger shift away from the movement which started in 2020.

Reportedly, the DEI team shut down on July 1 due to "changing business needs." In an internal email obtained by the outlet, a former lead for the team believes the cuts were done to get ahead of the Project 2025 conservative policy plan.

"True systems change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020," they wrote. "The timing was impeccable, so businesses everywhere could reevaluate the path forward should their U.S. federal contracts be at risk if the work continues on its face."

In that same email, the former lead alleges Microsoft executives were "investigated and [there was] evidence [of] discrimination, harassment, and toxicity" towards them during their tenure. Despite this, they stressed "impossible mountains were moved" by the DEI teams.

Where DEI came from and where it may go

Following George Floyd's murder in 2020 and subsequent protests, companies launched diversity-focused initiatives for their employees of color. Some also threw specific support behind the Black Lives Matter movement.

In Microsoft's case, it invested $150 million into DEI programs and pledged to double its number of Black and African-American managers and senior staff in the US by 2025.

But as IGN notes, companies like Google and Meta have made cuts to their DEI programs ahead of the 2024 US election. Things are further compounded by harassment against DEI programs and consultants in recent months.

Developers have largely been silent on the matter in recent months, unlike with other equally divisive events like Roe v. Wade's reversal in 2022.