US Coast Guard chief fired for 'excessive' focus on DEI, according to reports
US President Donald Trump has put on leave all federal employees in offices focusing on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) programmes and initiatives.
The order was issued by the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on Tuesday and confirmed by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on the same day.
It required all agency heads to inform employees of DEIA offices that they would be placed on paid administrative leave as the agency takes steps to end all DEIA initiatives, offices, and programmes.
It also ordered them to take down all websites and social media accounts of DEIA offices.
By January 31, all agency heads are expected to submit a written plan for a "reduction-in-force action" regarding the employees in DEIA offices, according to the OPM.
"Agencies should coordinate with OPM in preparing these plans," the order read, as first reported by CBS News.
The instructions come as Trump ordered the termination of DEIA mandates, policies, programmes, preferences, and activities in the Federal government in an executive order on Monday.
"Federal employment practices, including Federal employee performance reviews, shall reward individual initiative, skills, performance, and hard work and shall not under any circumstances consider DEI or DEIA factors, goals, policies, mandates, or requirements," the order read.
He also ordered the termination of:
Trump's orders have already reportedly led to the termination of U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Linda Lee Fagan, the country's first female uniformed leader of an armed forces branch.
Reuters reported that among the reasons for Fagan's termination is her "excessive" focus on DEI policies.
Another Department of Homeland Security official also told the news outlet that Fagan was fired because of "leadership deficiencies, operational failures, and inability to advance the strategic objectives of the U.S. Coast Guard."
Trump's orders on DEI reflect the growing movement in corporate America where many companies, such as Amazon, Meta, Walmart, among others, are pulling back on their DEI efforts.