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Cracker Barrel is the latest company to be targeted by right-wing agitators claiming to defend Donald Trump's policies, alleging that the restaurant's diversity drives are "discriminatory."
America First Legal (AFL) has called for an official probe into the Southern restaurant chain "for potential violations of federal and state civil rights laws stemming from its discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies."
Some of Cracker Barrel's initiatives to develop employees are focused specifically on supporting workers who are women, Black, LGBTQ+, or Latino, according to AFL. According to the Trump-supporting pressure group, it means they "appear to offer employment benefits that are only available based on an employees' race or sex."
AFL has formally requested that the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti investigate Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. for alleged violations.
Cultural divide over DEI practices
The case comes amid a wider cultural tussle about inclusion and diversity practices. Right-wing groups and indivduals continue to apply pressure on companies that advocate diversity in their hiring pratices, while the push-back has seen companies that have abandoned their DEI commitments boycotted by customers, with a resulting impact on sales.
Trump has been highly critical of DEI policies. Since his return to office earlier this year, federal agencies have rolled back the initiatives across military and government platforms and attempted to scrap them in schools and universities.
Claims that DEI in general is discriminatory have been subject to pushback in the spheres of education, politics, and business.
Executives still favor DEI strategy
Most US business leaders think dropping DEI is a bad idea, according to a national survey, whose findings were reported by Forbes earlier this month. Some 77% of executives believe that DEI initiatives are positively correlated with improved financial performance, while 81% said that DEI policies have bolstered customer loyalty.
In a press release issued by AFL Senior Counsel Nicholas Barry called Cracker Barrel "almost as American as apple pie," but said it may also be "discriminating against its employees," which, they say, must not go unchallenged under civil rights laws.
The dining chain, founded in Tennessee in 1969, has nearly 660 restaurants across 44 states, serving around 230 million guests each year, according to Cracker Barrel's website.
