NASA’s acting administrator is moving rapidly to remove diversity equity inclusion accessibility (DEIA) programs from the space agency. In an email sent on Wednesday afternoon to agency staff, acting administrator Janet Petro wrote:
During his campaign for a second term in office, Trump promised to end federal programs that promote diversity equity and inclusion. He signed executive order to that effect soon after his inauguration Monday.
Programs viewed as divisive.
Although these programs have their roots in affirmative actions, they exploded in popularity a half decade ago during Trump’s first presidential term and the #MeToo or Black Lives Matter movements. DEI officers and programs became commonplace within the US corporate sector and academia. The DEI movement seemed to have peaked even before Trump’s election. Last year, for example, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology The use of diversity statements for faculty hiring was stopped. Petro explained NASA’s position by referring to the agency’s DEIA activities. “These programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination.”
Petro’s email is notable because it suggests that some civil servants from NASA may have tried to hide DEIA programs away from the Trump administration after the presidential election early November. She wrote
“We are aware of efforts by some in government to disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language,” . “If you are aware of a change in any contract description or personnel position description since November 5, 2024 to obscure the connection between the contract and DEIA or similar ideologies, please report all facts and circumstances.”
