AT&T Joins Verizon and T-Mobile in Ending Programs

AT&T announced this week that it is ending all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across the company, joining a growing list of major corporations that have rolled back or eliminated DEI initiatives.

The move comes as the Trump administration continues its nationwide effort to remove DEI policies from both federal agencies and the private sector.

The telecommunications company, which employs approximately 100,000 people in the United States, informed Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr of the change in a formal letter on Monday.

AT&T said the decision was prompted by recent legal developments affecting corporate DEI programs.

“AT&T has always stood for merit-based opportunity, and we are pleased to reaffirm our commitment to equal employment opportunity and nondiscrimination today,” wrote David McAtee, senior executive vice president and general counsel at AT&T.

“Consistent with applicable law, our multi-pronged approach allows employees to thrive in an environment free from invidious discrimination.”

According to reporting from the New York Post, AT&T’s previous DEI training materials included language describing racism as a “uniquely white trait” and instructed white employees that they “are the problem,” citing details published by Christopher Rufo of City Journal.

AT&T scraps DEI program that said racism is a ‘uniquely white trait’

AT&T told the FCC it removed all DEI from its employee requirements

‘The legal landscape’ regarding DEI ‘policies and programs has changed,’ the company said in a letter to the FCC pic.twitter.com/CSIX0wyND5

— RT (@RT_com) December 3, 2025

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

AT&T’s announcement follows similar decisions by multiple large companies.

Amazon, Meta, Lowe’s, and McDonald’s have all scaled back or ended their DEI programs in recent months.

Verizon Communications and T-Mobile, the other two major U.S. wireless carriers, have also dismantled their DEI initiatives.

President Donald Trump shut down DEI offices across the federal government during his first week in office, and Carr has publicly stated that he intends to use all regulatory tools available to eliminate DEI requirements from companies overseen by the FCC.

AT&T is currently seeking federal approval for a $1.02 billion agreement made in November 2024 to purchase wireless spectrum licenses from U.S. Cellular.

The FCC is responsible for reviewing and approving the transaction.

On Tuesday, Carr wrote on X that AT&T had “memorialized its commitment to ending DEI-related policies,” following the company’s letter to the commission.

NEW on DEI:

AT&T has now memorialized its commitment to ending DEI-related policies in an FCC filing and “will not have any roles focused on DEI.”

This follows the big changes @robbystarbuck already announced earlier this year. pic.twitter.com/kxpljJYYOS

— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) December 2, 2025

In the filing, AT&T said it would no longer maintain any positions dedicated to DEI functions.

“It is AT&T’s longstanding practice to pay and advance individuals based on merit and qualification,” the company stated.

McAtee added that AT&T “will not use hiring quotas based on race, sex or sexual orientation,” and confirmed that all DEI training programs have been removed.

The company did not provide a timeline for completing the removal of existing DEI structures but said the shift aligns with its broader commitment to nondiscrimination and equal opportunity under federal law.