Paramount Employees Express Outrage Over DEI Rollback

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Paramount employees are vocally opposing the company’s recent decision to retract its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, as highlighted in a letter addressed to the studio’s co-CEOs. The backlash follows a memo sent in early February that outlined the company’s strategic shift away from DEI commitments.

In the anonymous letter, reported by The New York Times‘ Benjamin Mullin, employees expressed their disappointment and critical views on this reversal. “As employees, we are extremely disappointed — but not surprised — by the senior leadership team’s decision to roll back our commitments to DEI. This capitulation reflects the profound hypocrisy of extracting labor from diverse communities while committing to their exclusion,” they wrote.

According to the memo signed by co-CEOs Brian Robbins, George Cheeks, and Chris McCarthy, Paramount will end its aspirational hiring goals related to race, gender, and sexuality. The memo also indicated a stop to incorporating DEI factors in employee compensation plans and ceased the collection of diversity data for U.S. job applications.

The memo emphasized the need to align with business objectives, stating, “With our business objectives firmly in mind, we will continue to evaluate our programs and approach to ensure that we are widening our aperture to attract talent from all geographies, backgrounds, and perspectives. That may mean expanding existing programs while ending others.”

Additionally, the CEOs cited compliance with executive orders from the Trump administration as a reasoning behind the changes, mentioning that these orders impact how inclusion efforts can be implemented among federal contractors.

While the leadership claims these changes are necessary, many employees disagree. They articulated their concerns by questioning the company’s ability to market to global audiences while simultaneously eroding internal commitments to equity and inclusion. “How can we continue to attract talent with promises that are walked back the moment they become inconvenient?” the letter read.

The call for accountability comes amidst recent layoffs at Paramount, which the employees assert disproportionately affected individuals from underrepresented demographics. “This has forced us to say goodbye to countless talented and brilliant colleagues,” the letter stated.

Paramount, which owns CBS, BET, Comedy Central, and MTV, has declined to comment on the situation.