The cybersecurity firm responsible for the software update that crashed millions of computers worldwide has been hit with a complaint over its dismissal of white, male employees as part of a diversity hiring program.
A conservative legal action group alleges that CrowdStrike favors women and minorities in jobs and promotions in coding, programming and other fields through diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.
America First Legal (AFL), the group that filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) about CrowdStrike, did not blame DEI for the bug that crashed some 8.5 million computers worldwide.
Critics of DEI, however, say it’s problematic because it awards jobs and promotions based on gender and race, not talent. This makes companies less efficient because their products and services suffer.
According to Dan Epstein, an attorney for the AFL, there is ample evidence that the $3 billion-a-year company headquartered in Austin, Texas, uses “race as a basis for promotion in the labor market.”
Airline passengers worldwide were stranded after software update crashed millions of computers
The House Homeland Security Committee has asked CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz to testify about the outage
Public statements by CrowdStrike executives demonstrate “values that favor racial discrimination over true diversity of thought and opinion” and pointed to “unlawful activities” by the company, Epstein added.
The company did not respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
A glitchy update to CrowdStrike’s security software caused computers running Microsoft’s Windows operating system to crash on Friday, disrupting internet connectivity around the world and affecting airlines, banking, health care and other key industries.
According to Microsoft, approximately 8.5 million Windows devices are affected.
The outage occurred because CrowdStrike’s Falcon Sensor, which combats malicious software and hackers, contained a bug that caused Windows computers to crash and display the “Blue Screen of Death.”
Services across all sectors gradually came back online later on Friday, but businesses still faced backlogs, delays, flight cancellations and other issues, raising questions about how to prevent a similar crisis in the future.
AFL’s complaint letter Wednesday highlights the company’s track record of hiring and promoting women and minority employees over top managers, programmers and other staff members.
CrowdStrike’s website cites DEI pages and its “commitment to building a diverse workforce” through mentorship and “internal development programs” that target women and minorities, while no such programs exist for white men.
These include so-called “employee groups,” which separate employees based on race, gender, and sexual identity.
It references comments from CrowdStrike executives about equity and inclusivity, including former DEI head Sheree Haggan’s call for a “progressive atmosphere that fosters Black diversity.”
“The ongoing labor practices described by the company itself are grossly unlawful, deeply damaging and immoral,” the letter said.
‘Decades of case law show that policies aimed at racial balance, no matter how well-intentioned, are prohibited.’
Services across all sectors gradually came back online later on Friday, but businesses still suffered from backlogs, delays, flight cancellations and other issues
AFL attorney Dan Epstein accuses CrowdStrike of ‘unlawful activities’ in its diversity recruitment programs
The $3 billion-a-year cybersecurity company headquartered in Austin, Texas, has not yet responded to the complaints
The EEOC, which enforces workplace discrimination laws, does not have to take action on complaints, as the number of complaints has increased significantly in recent years.
The AFL has filed complaints with the EEOC challenging workplace diversity programs at 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 one of several conservative organizations fighting diversity quotas in public and private institutions.
AFL also wrote to CrowdStrike’s board of directors, stating that the company’s DEI policies are harming the company’s profits.
The company has not yet responded to either letter.
The DEI policies outlined on CrowdStrike’s website may seem uncontroversial to many Americans, even as they have become a growing focus of the country’s culture wars.
Many companies that embraced DEI policies following the police killing of unarmed Black man George Floyd in May 2020 later backed away from them for fear of angering conservative customers.
For some, DEI programs are important and necessary because they can help overcome historical racism and sexism and make it easier for people of all backgrounds to advance in education and the workforce.
Critics say it is a form of reverse discrimination that unfairly targets straight, white men.
Others say that while DEI policies are well-intentioned, they rarely deliver the desired results and often make matters worse by sowing divisions in offices and classrooms.