Richmond, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - Governor Youngkin commented on his perspective the role of DEI in Virginia. These comments came after the Commonwealth's Chief Diversity Officer Martin Brown landed in controversy after telling a crowd at VMI that "DEI is dead."
Youngkin clarified that he thought the principles of DEI were "laudable" a decade ago, but that it has since "gone off the rails." He said that the language of DEI has become too "bombastic," and that in advocating for "equal outcomes for everyone at any cost" puts equity over excellence.
Youngkin initially stated that he believed in maintaining a diverse workforce and equal opportunities, but went on to say that he believes DEI and ESG standards had gone too far. He gave no concrete explanation, however, of how he would like to see diversity maintained without such policies, nor did he comment on whether he believed Brown should resign.