Apple shareholders reject proposal to abandon its DEI policies

By lauraharris // 2025-03-01

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Apple shareholders overwhelmingly rejected a proposal by the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPR) to end the company's diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, with 97 percent voting against it.
The NCPR argued that Apple's DEI programs could expose the company to increased litigation risks, particularly from potential discrimination lawsuits and claimed that these initiatives are out of step with recent court rulings.
Apple's management strongly supports its DEI efforts, emphasizing that they are essential to the company’s ethical standards, business success and market value, which stands at $3.7 trillion.
Similarly, Costco Wholesale also rejected a similar NCPR proposal, with 98 percent of its board of directors voting to ask shareholders to reject the motion, affirming their commitment to respect and inclusion.
Both Apple and Costco leadership, including Costco Chairman Hamilton "Tony" James, highlighted the importance of DEI in fostering a positive company culture and business success, emphasizing the value of inclusion for both employees and customers.

Apple shareholders have rejected a proposal from the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPR) that calls for the tech giant to abandon its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The proposal, titled "Request to Cease DEI Efforts," argues that recent legal changes to its DEI programs could expose Apple to an increased risk of discrimination lawsuits. The conservative think tank claims that Apple's initiatives are out of step with recent court rulings and could lead to legal action from approximately 50,000 employees. "It's clear that DEI poses litigation, reputational and financial risks to companies and therefore financial risks to their shareholders and therefore further risks to companies for not abiding by their fiduciary duties," the NCPR wrote. (Related: Trump appoints new FAA chief after deadly D.C. crash, orders end to DEI hiring practices.) However, Apple's management firmly stands behind its DEI efforts, asserting that they are crucial to the company's success and align with its ethical and business principles. "We believe that how we conduct ourselves is as critical to Apple's success as making the best products in the world," the company said in its statement against the proposal. "We seek to conduct business ethically, honestly and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations." Apple also stated that its program is a crucial component of the company's culture, which has contributed to its current market value of $3.7 trillion — the highest of any business in the world. During the shareholder meeting on Feb. 25, 97 percent of Apple shareholders cast their votes against the proposal despite mounting pressure from conservative groups and politicians.

Costco Wholesale also rejects NCPR's proposal to reject DEI policies

NCPR had done the same with Costco Wholesale in January, asking the retail company to report on the risks of maintaining its DEI initiatives. The conservative think tank argued in its proposal that it was holding "litigation, reputational and financial risks to the company and therefore financial risks to shareholders." However, 98 percent of Costco's board of directors voted to ask shareholders to reject the motion. "Our commitment to an enterprise rooted in respect and inclusion is appropriate and necessary. The report requested by this proposal would not provide meaningful additional information," the board stated. A few days later, Costco Chairman Hamilton "Tony" James echoed a similar statement in a shareholder meeting. "We owe our success to the more than 300,000 employees who serve our members every day. It is important that they all feel included and appreciated and that they transmit these values to our customers," he said. Head over to LeftCult.com for more stories like this. Watch the video below that talks about DOGE being sued just minutes after Trump was sworn in.

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Costco Wholesale also rejects NCPR's proposal to reject DEI policies

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