The cybersecurity firm behind the software update that crashed millions of computers globally has been hit with a complaint over sidelining its white, male employees under a diversity-hiring scheme.
A conservative legal action group alleges that CrowdStrike favors women and minorities for jobs and promotions in coding, programming and other areas through diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
America First Legal (AFL), the group that complained about CrowdStrike to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), did not blame DEI for the bug that crashed some 8.5 million computers globally.
But critics of DEI say it’s problematic because jobs and promotions are awarded based on sex and skin color — not talent — leaving companies less efficient as their products and services suffer.
Elon Musk has suggested that DEI hiring at CrowdStrike led to the damaging outages, starting a debate on his platform X over whether it could have somehow resulted in the coding error.
AFL lawyer Dan Epstein said there was plenty of evidence that the $3-billion-a-year firm, which is headquartered in Austin, Texas, used ‘race as a basis for advancement in employment.’
Public statements by CrowdStrike executives showcase ‘values in favor of racial discrimination over the true diversity of thought and opinion’ and indicated ‘unlawful activity’ by the firm, Epstein added.
The company did not answer DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
A glitchy update to CrowdStrike’s security software crashed computers powered by Microsoft’s Windows operating system on Friday, disrupting internet services across the globe and affecting airlines, banking, healthcare and other key industries.
Microsoft said about 8.5 million Windows devices were hit.
The outage happened because CrowdStrike’s security program, which counters malicious software and hackers, contained a bug that forced computers running Windows to crash and show the ‘Blue Screen of Death.’
Services across industries gradually came back online later on Friday, but companies still struggled with backlogs, delays, canceled flights and other issues, raising questions on how to avoid such a crisis in the future.
AFL’s complaint letter on Wednesday highlights the company’s track record in hiring and promoting women or minority employees — rather than the best managers, coders and other staffers.
It points to the DEI pages on CrowdStrike’s website, and it’s ‘commitment to building a diverse workforce’ through mentorship and ‘internal development programs’ aimed at women and minorities, when no such schemes exist for white men.
These include so-called ’employee resource groups,’ which separate workers along racial, gender and sexual identity lines
It points to comments from CrowdStrike executives about equity and inclusion, including the former DEI chief Sheree Haggan’s push for a ‘progressive atmosphere that promotes black diversity.’
‘The company’s self-described, ongoing employment practices are patently unlawful, deeply harmful, and immoral,’ says the letter.
‘Decades of case law hold that — no matter how well-intentioned — policies that seek to impose racial balancing are prohibited.’
The EEOC, which enforces laws against workplace discrimination, does not have to act on complaints, which have shot up in recent years.
AFL has filed complaints with the EEOC targeting workplace diversity schemes by the NFL, Major League Baseball and dozens of companies, including Starbucks, McDonald’s, Morgan Stanley, Activision Blizzard and Kellogg.
The legal action group, founded by Stephen Miller, a former senior adviser to President Donald Trump, is among a number of conservative organizations fighting diversity quotas in public and private institutions.
AFL also wrote to CrowdStrike’s board, saying its DEI policies hurt the company’s bottom line.
The company has not yet responded to either letter.
The DEI policies outlined on CrowdStrike’s website may appear uncontroversial to many Americans, even as they become a growing focus of the country’s culture wars.
Many firms that embraced DEI policies in the wake of the police killing of unarmed black man George Floyd in May 2020 have stepped back from them for fear of irking conservative customers.
For some, DEI schemes are important and necessary, as they can help to overcome historical racism and sexism and make it easier for people of all backgrounds to get ahead in education and work.
Critics say they’re a form of reverse discrimination that unfairly blows back on straight, white men.
Others say DEI schemes may be well-intentioned, but seldom achieve their desired goals and often make things worse by stirring up divisions in offices and classrooms.