Wells Fargo is reportedly settling a class-action lawsuit alleging it held phony job interviews to make its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives look better than they really were.
But the plaintiffs said those interviews were often shams, conducted after another candidate had already been selected.
The bank denies wrongdoing, saying the claims are “without merit.” It also points out that both the DOJ and SEC closed their investigations without taking action. Still, the company is choosing to settle “in principle.”
The problem, however, is that when companies treat DEI like PR, not principle, when they reduce inclusion to metrics, quotas, and headlines, they don’t just invite lawsuits. They hand ammunition to those who already want DEI gone.
The fallout hurts everyone. The good-faith work that thousands of HR professionals and leaders do every day to build fair, inclusive workplaces gets undermined by high-profile stories like this. And suddenly, DEI isn’t seen as opportunity. It’s seen as optics.
DEI shouldn’t be theater. It should be culture.
It should be real hiring, real belonging, and real accountability.
That’s how you keep DEI from becoming another headline about why DEI “doesn’t work” or is “just another form of discrimination.”
