The majority of Levi Strauss & Co.’s shareholders have voted against anti-DEI proposals.

WWD reports the company received a proposal from the National Center for Public Policy Research requesting that its shareholders “consider abolishing its DEI program, policies, department and goal.”

At a time when other major corporations have rolled back their diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in response to President Donald Trump’s efforts to eliminate DEI across the federal government, the proposal referenced that “Alphabet and Meta cut DEI staff and DEI-related investments; and Microsoft and Zoom laid off their entire DEI teams.” 

Levi’s executives, however, do not believe the company has partaken in discriminatory policies in its recruitment or promotions, according to David Jedrzejek, Levi’s senior vice president and general counsel, per the outlet.

Still, Stefan Padfield, executive director of the National Center’s Free Enterprise Project, made a point to mention at the shareholder meeting, “Imagine what corporations could accomplish if they stop dividing us on the basis of race and sex and instead focused on raising the floor for all Americans in areas such as education, which are at the root of the pipeline problems driving our demographic inequalities.”

Where Levi’s Stands

In response, less than 1% of Levi’s shareholders greenlit the proposal. Levi’s board shared the same sentiments as the majority of shareholders and stated, “We believe in the strong business case for a diverse and inclusive workforce.”

According to WWD, Levi’s President and CEO Michelle Gass mentioned, “We’ve been committed to diversity and inclusion for literally decades, and it’s the core to who we are. So our commitment remains unchanged. We will do what’s right for our people, for our business. And at the end of the day, building a diverse and inclusive workplace helps us deliver stronger results.”

Padfield shared that he was not surprised by shareholders’ votes, commenting, “The majority of votes are controlled by institutions and individuals who are subject to conflicts of interest. The proper headline should perhaps read something like, ‘No Trustworthy Shareholders Voted for DEI.'”

However, his claim could not be corroborated, per WWD.