White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that US federal employees working in diversity offices must be put on paid leave by Wednesday evening as the new administration of Donald Trump has ordered the programs shut.
“Send a notification to all employees of DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility) offices that they are being placed on paid administrative leave effective immediately as the agency takes steps to close/end all DEIA initiatives, offices and program,” said a US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) memo posted on social media platform X by a CBS correspondent.
The memo from acting OPM director Charles Ezell directed all department and agency heads and acting heads to send workers notice by 5 pm Wednesday.
“To every reporter asking about this: I can gladly confirm!” said Leavitt on X, reposting the CBS reporter who had posted the memo.
While campaigning, Trump had vilified diversity, equity and inclusion …