NC labor commissioner and state auditor end use of DEI

The announcement follows similar actions by President Donald Trump

NC Labor Commissioner Luke Farley and NC State Auditor Dave Boliek

RALEIGH — North Carolina Labor Commissioner Luke Farley and State Auditor Dave Boliek have announced the end of the use of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, known as DEI, in their agencies.

“Effective immediately, I am ending the N.C. Department of Labor’s (NCDOL) use of DEI metrics in evaluating the performance of the department’s hardworking employees,” Farley said in a statement. “From this point forward, we will hire and evaluate employees based on merit and on their ability to fulfill our mission to protect the health, safety and well-being of North Carolinians.”

Farley issued the announcement on Jan. 23. Boliek’s announcement that he intends to end DEI practices in his agency followed within hours of Farley’s.

“I am directing the Office of State Human Resources to remove DEI as a core measurement for evaluating NCDOL employee performance and am also directing that NCDOL managers and supervisors no longer consider DEI as an evaluation method,” Farley said.

“Going forward, I am adding a performance measure related to safety and health which will ensure that we hold ourselves to the same standards that we expect and require of our state’s employers,” said Farley. “Ultimately, my goal is to hire and retain qualified, professional individuals who will provide excellent service to our state.”

Boliek was a member of the UNC Board of Trustees during the time period the UNC System repealed its DEI policies and offices. Cuts to the programs and policies totaled $17 million, which has been reinvested in other priorities for the UNC System.

“DEI is divisive and brings little-to-no return on investment of time and resources,” said Boliek in a press release. “My goal in the Auditor’s Office is to establish a professional workplace where individuals are valued and measured based on merit. Corporations across the country are abandoning DEI, as are colleges and universities, and it’s time for the government to do the same.”

The press release cited the “negative effects of DEI are backed by years of research and studies,” as well as a Rutgers University’s Social Perception Lab and the Network Contagion Research Institute report that “found that DEI can heighten racial suspicion, prejudicial attitudes, and authoritarian policing.”

“As part of a comprehensive internal review, DEI will be eliminated from internal policies at the Office of the State Auditor, including any training, performance requirements, preferencing, and directives,” Boliek’s press release said.

The announcements come after President Donald Trump issued an executive order ending DEI programs and practices at the federal level and Boliek’s press release mentioned Trump’s orders.

In a separate executive order, Trump ordered all federal agencies to terminate DEI-based hiring practices which that order deems “discriminatory,” and return to merit-based hiring practices.

About A.P. Dillon 1536 Articles
A.P. Dillon is a North State Journal reporter located near Raleigh, North Carolina. Find her on Twitter: @APDillon_