McDonald’s is being sued for its Hispanic scholarship program just after it reduced some diversity initiatives
The group behind the lawsuit, led by Edward Blum, claims that the scholarship program unfairly discriminates against students from other races. They filed this case in federal court in Tennessee. Blum is known for his role in the case against Harvard that led to the Supreme Court’s decision to end affirmative action in college admissions earlier this year.
McDonald’s has been running the HACER scholarship program for years, claiming it has given out $33 million to help Hispanic and Latino students. But the lawsuit argues that this program breaks federal law because it doesn’t allow non-Hispanic or Latino students to apply. The company that manages the scholarship, International Scholarship and Tuition Services, is also named in the suit.
In response, McDonald’s said they’re looking into the complaint. They mentioned that they’re reviewing their inclusion efforts and will be working with franchisees to make sure their programs fit their future vision.
Just last week, McDonald’s announced it would stop using specific diversity goals for senior leadership and would retire some other diversity practices. They cited changes in the legal landscape as a reason for this shift.
Interestingly, McDonald’s isn’t alone in this. Other companies like Meta, Walmart, and John Deere are also scaling back their diversity initiatives, all pointing to the same 2023 Supreme Court decision.
Blum didn’t hold back, saying it’s shocking that after a civil rights audit, the Hispanic-only scholarship wasn’t flagged as a potential violation of civil rights laws. When asked for a comment, a representative from the McDonald’s Hispanic Owner-Operators Association said they had no statement on the lawsuit.
