The cybersecurity firm behind a software update that caused millions of computers to crash around the world has been hit with a complaint for leaving out its white male employees under a diversity hiring plan.
A conservative legal action group alleges that CrowdStrike favors women and minorities in obtaining jobs and promotions in coding, programming, and other fields through diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
America First Legal (AFL), the group that complained about CrowdStrike to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), did not blame DEI for the bug that crashed some 8.5 million computers worldwide.
But critics of DEI say it is problematic because jobs and promotions are awarded based on sex and skin color, not talent, making companies less efficient as their products and services suffer.
AFL attorney Dan Epstein said there was ample evidence that the $3 billion-a-year Austin, Texas-based firm used “race as a basis for advancement in employment.”
Airline passengers around the world were left stranded after a software update crashed millions of computers
The House Homeland Security Committee has asked CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz to testify about the service outage.
Public statements by CrowdStrike executives show “values favoring racial discrimination over true diversity of thought and opinion” and indicate “illegal activity” by the company, Epstein added.
The company did not respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
A flawed update to CrowdStrike’s security software on Friday caused computers running Microsoft’s Windows operating system to crash, disrupting internet services around the world and affecting airlines, banks, health care and other key industries.
Microsoft said around 8.5 million Windows devices were affected.
The outage occurred because CrowdStrike’s Falcon sensor, which counters malware and hackers, contained a bug that forced Windows computers to crash and display the “blue screen of death.”
Services across all industries gradually came back online later Friday, but businesses were still grappling with delays, delays, cancelled flights and other problems, raising questions about how to avoid such a crisis in the future.
AFL’s complaint letter on Wednesday highlights the company’s history of hiring and promoting women or minority employees over top managers, coders and other employees.
She points to the DEI pages on CrowdStrike’s website and its “commitment to building a diverse workforce” through mentorship and “internal development programs” aimed at women and minorities, when no such plans exist for white men.
These include so-called “employee resource groups,” which separate workers along racial, gender and sexual identity lines.
She points to comments from CrowdStrike executives on equity and inclusion, including former DEI chief Sheree Haggan’s push for a “progressive atmosphere that promotes Black diversity.”
“The company’s continued and self-described employment practices are patently unlawful, deeply damaging and immoral,” the letter said.
‘Decades of case law hold that, no matter how good their intentions, policies that seek to impose racial balance are prohibited.’
Services across all industries gradually came back online later Friday, but businesses were still grappling with backlogs, delays, cancelled flights and other issues.
AFL attorney Dan Epstein accuses CrowdStrike of ‘illegal activity’ in its diversity-based hiring plans
The $3 billion-a-year cybersecurity firm based in Austin, Texas, has yet to respond to the complaints.
The EEOC, which enforces workplace discrimination laws, does not have to act on the complaints, which have skyrocketed in recent years.
The AFL has filed complaints with the EEOC against the workplace diversity plans of 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 among several conservative organizations fighting diversity quotas at public and private institutions.
AFL also wrote to CrowdStrike’s board, saying its DEI policies were hurting the company’s bottom line.
The company has not yet responded to any of the letters.
The DEI policies outlined on CrowdStrike’s website may seem uncontroversial to many Americans, even as they are becoming an increasing focus of the country’s culture wars.
Many companies that adopted DEI policies in the wake of the police killing of unarmed black man George Floyd in May 2020 have backed away from them for fear of angering conservative customers.
For some, DEI programs are important and necessary, as they can help overcome historical racism and sexism and make it easier for people of all backgrounds to advance in education and work.
Critics say they are a form of reverse discrimination that unfairly affects straight white men.
Others say DEI programs may be well-intentioned, but they rarely achieve their desired goals and often make matters worse by creating divisions in offices and classrooms.
