Summarised by Centrist
In the US, a senior official at the Oregon Department of Forestry has been placed on leave after a complaint by a DEI officer.
Mike Shaw, who advocated for hiring based on qualifications rather than gender or identity, was criticised by Megan Donecker, the former DEI strategy officer. Donecker accused Shaw of ignoring identity in hiring decisions, causing a backlash within the department.
Donecker also alleged that queer staff felt unsafe because they couldn’t openly discuss pronouns at work, claiming the department was a “boys club.”
Shaw had previously warned that rushing DEI initiatives could lead to problems, likening it to “driving too fast on an icy road.”
Oregon’s forestry department has faced similar criticism over its DEI efforts, which gained momentum after George Floyd’s death in 2020, but enthusiasm for these policies has recently waned.
Clackamas County recently scaled back its DEI office, calling it an unnecessary expense.
