Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton demanded answers Wednesday from a defense contractor after a report alleged that a three-day training program was hosted for white male executives.
Cotton addressed CEO Lockheed Martin CEO, Jim Taiclet, in the letter and asked him to verify various details about the reported program. Journalist Christopher Rufo reported a week earlier that the defense contractor had allegedly hosted “White Men As Full Diversity Partners,” a diversity-consulting firm that directed 13 of the company’s senior employees to deconstruct their “white male privilege.”
BREAKING: Last week, I called on the U.S. Senate to investigative Lockheed Martin’s white male reeducation programs. Today, Sen. @TomCottonAR delivered, launching an inquiry and demanding answers from CEO Jim Taiclet.
Sen. Cotton is fighting for all Americans. We are with you! pic.twitter.com/ClktsvDbHH
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) June 2, 2021
“This training, if it occurred, appears to violate the principle of equal treatment that is the bedrock of American law, including civil-rights law,” Cotton wrote. “Title VII of the Civil Rights Act in particular forbids employers from discriminating on the basis of race and engaging in any activities that ‘limit, segregate, or clarify [their] employees.”
During the training, employees were asked to list connotations for the term “white men,” which elicited responses including “racist,” “privileged,” “anti-women,” “Aryan nation,” “KKK,” “Founding fathers,” and “can’t jump.” (RELATED: The War Machine Gets Woke: Largest US Defense Contractor Reportedly Held ‘Privilege’ Training For White Men)
The trainers reportedly linked the “roots of white male culture” to traits including a “can-do attitude” and “hard work” which can apparently have “devastating” effects for women and minorities.
SCOOP: @LockheedMartin, the nation’s largest defense contractor, sent key executives to a three-day white male reeducation camp in order to deconstruct their “white male culture” and atone for their “white male privilege.”
I’ve obtained internal documents that will shock you.????
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) May 26, 2021
“The previous administration observed that the kind of stereotyping and scapegoating commonly found in these trainings ‘may contribute to a hostile work environment and give rise to potential liability under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” Cotton continued.
The employees were also allegedly tasked with reviewing a series of statements the trainers considered privileges enjoyed by white people, males, and heterosexuals, respectively. The statements including, “I can commit acts of terrorism, violence or crime and not have it attributed to my race,” and “I can take and develop photos of my toddler at bath time without having my motivation questioned.”
If the training occurred, Cotton requested Taiclet explain how it complies with Title VII although the training “relies on stereotypes and appears to segregate employees on the basis of race and sex.”
A Lockheed Martin spokesperson told the Daily Caller in a comment following the initial report about the training in late May that it employs “multiple vendors and continuously evaluate the effectiveness of training programs to ensure they are aligned with our values, applicable laws and regulations, and incorporate employee feedback and best practices.”
Another facility that receives taxpayer funding allegedly has also hosted “White Men As Full Diversity Partners” training.
Rufo reported in August 2020 that Sandia National Laboratories, which assesses the United States’ nuclear weapons, hosted a “White Men’s Caucus on Eliminating Racism, Sexism, and Homophobia in Organizations” for its white male executives in 2019 at a luxury resort.
Lockheed Martin is the largest defense contractor in the world, and won $50.7 billion in federal government contracts in 2017, more than any other company, USA Today reported. The U.S. government is Lockheed Martin’s biggest customer, paying the company nearly 70% of its revenue in 2018, according to Forbes.