Deloitte Agrees to Pay $21.5 Million to Settle DOJ Probe Into DEI Practices

Accounting firm Deloitte agreed to pay $21.5 million to settle Department of Justice allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by failing to comply with anti-discrimination requirements in federal contracts and discriminating on the basis of race or sex, the department announced Tuesday.

The settlement resolves allegations that Deloitte violated the False Claims Act by failing to comply with anti-discrimination requirements in its federal contracts and allegedly discriminating against employees and applicants on the basis of their race or sex, according to the DOJ.

The DOJ said business units within Deloitte received monthly summaries tracking the “demographic goals” and alleged that the company’s partners, principals and managing directors were evaluated, in part, based on their contributions to helping it achieve its workforce composition goals.

The DEI goals, according to the DOJ, attempted to boost the representation of the Black and Hispanic communities in promotion decisions.

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