Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr has ordered an investigation into The Walt Disney Company and its subsidiary ABC, alleging potential violations of the agency’s equal employment opportunity (EEO) regulations stemming from the companies’ diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. In a letter to Disney CEO Robert A. Iger, Carr stated that the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau would examine whether Disney and ABC engaged in what he described as “invidious forms of DEI discrimination” in violation of federal regulations that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, or gender. “While I have seen reports that Disney recently walked back some of its DEI programs, significant concerns remain,” Carr wrote. “I want to ensure that Disney ends any and all discriminatory initiatives in substance, not just name.”
Carr pointed to internal and public-facing initiatives within Disney, including mandatory inclusion standards at ABC and the company’s “Reimagine Tomorrow” campaign. He cited whistleblower accounts and media reports suggesting Disney employed race- and gender-based criteria in hiring, production, and executive compensation decisions. Among the practices under scrutiny are reported requirements that “50 percent of regular and recurring characters” be from underrepresented groups, and that “50% or more” of writers, directors, crew, and vendors also meet demographic criteria. Carr also flagged fellowships and hiring databases that he claimed were restricted to select racial or ethnic groups. Carr, a Trump-appointed commissioner who now chairs the FCC under the former president’s administration, said President Trump’s recent executive order banning federal DEI programs prompted the agency’s broader rollback of similar initiatives. He wrote that the FCC has already moved to eliminate its internal DEI efforts and expects regulated entities to do the same. “As I have made clear, promoting invidious forms of discrimination cannot be squared with any reasonable interpretation of federal law,” Carr stated. “Doing so only deprives Americans of their rights to fair and equal treatment under the law.”
A Disney spokesperson said the company was reviewing the letter and looked forward to answering the commission’s questions. The crackdown on diversity is part of a broader Trump and Project 2025 initiative that seeks to erase the history of underrepresented groups, particularly Black Americans. Trump’s second term has been marked by sweeping actions against marginalized communities as the president and his supporters work to whitewash U.S. history and drive the country back beyond the Jim Crow era. Last month, Axios reported that Disney had made some policy changes, including eliminating a website highlighting personalities and stories from underrepresented communities. The company also softened messages that appeared before showings of older films like “Dumbo” and “Peter Pan.” Instead of previous warnings that the films include “negative depictions and/or mistreatment of peoples or culture,” the updated messages now read: “This program is presented as originally created and may contain stereotypes or negative depictions.”