Following a series of executive orders issued by the Trump administration targeting DEI initiatives, many companies have made significant changes to their proxy statements this season. Disclosures relating to racial and gender diversity were once considered essential, and while proxy advisory firms continue to consider such disclosures when making voting recommendations, now many companies are skirting around the topic or eliminating any mention of diversity altogether. 

President Trump has issued a series of executive orders targeting the private sector’s initiatives related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and/or Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. As DEI-related disclosures will likely be scrutinized more closely, it is critical for companies to evaluate the risks of their DEI programs and proactively mitigate the risk of investor claims that may arise from their pursuit of—or withdrawal from—DEI initiatives and their associated public statements.President Trump has issued a series of executive orders targeting the private sector’s initiatives related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and/or Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. As DEI-related disclosures will likely be scrutinized more closely, it is critical for companies to evaluate the risks of their DEI programs and proactively mitigate the risk of investor claims that may arise from their pursuit of—or withdrawal from—DEI initiatives and their associated public statements.

On March 4, 2025, in response to a lawsuit by several civil rights organizations and individuals against the federal government’s policy directives on gender-affirming care, a federal court issued a partial block of Executive Order 14187 titled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation” and Executive Order 14168 titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”