Which practices are driving the lawsuits in this trend?

Race-conscious hiring, promotion, board-selection, or “diverse slate” practices alleged to disadvantage white or other non-preferred candidates. DEI policies, metrics, public statements, or risk disclosures challenged as misleading, unlawful, or inconsistently applied. Government grants, contracts, education programs, or agency rules terminated or conditioned because of stated opposition to DEI or identity-based initiatives. DEI rollbacks and retaliation claims involving employees, grantees, researchers, and organizations whose work is associated with diversity or environmental-justice programs.

DEI & “Reverse Discrimination” Litigation Trends

Name: DEI & “Reverse Discrimination” Litigation Trends
Creator: Rain Intelligence
Published: 2026-10-15T18:16:44.000Z
License: https://www.rainintelligence.com/terms-conditions

GeneratedOct 15, 2026

112 predicted defendants identified in Rain Intelligence for this trend — companies that have not yet been sued, but are on plaintiffs’ firms’ radar.

Request a Demo

Filings

Cases already on the docket

Under investigation

Names locked

AI forecasts

Likely next defendants — full list in product

Total predictions

Investigations + forecasts

Premium Intelligence

0 predicted defendants are not in this preview

Rain Intelligence customers see the full list of companies under pre-filing investigation by plaintiffs’ firms — plus the AI-forecasted defendants most likely to be sued next, with case theories, evidence summaries, and plaintiff-firm activity. This public preview shows only what is already on the docket.

Book a Demo to Unlock

Pre-filing investigations

AI forecasts

Understanding the trend

What is this trend?

A developing litigation and investigation theme around race-conscious employment, governance, education, grant, and public-sector programs. The matters include challenges to DEI or affirmative-action structures as unlawful preferences, as well as claims that institutions misrepresented, rolled back, or selectively applied those programs.

What caused it

The trend is being driven by heightened scrutiny of race-conscious decision-making after the Supreme Court’s 2023 affirmative-action decisions, changing federal policy and contracting priorities, and corporate pullbacks or disclosures around DEI programs. The resulting disputes are appearing across Title VII and § 1981 employment theories, securities disclosures, equal-protection and administrative-law claims, and grant or contract challenges.

Practices driving the lawsuits

Race-conscious hiring, promotion, board-selection, or “diverse slate” practices alleged to disadvantage white or other non-preferred candidates.
DEI policies, metrics, public statements, or risk disclosures challenged as misleading, unlawful, or inconsistently applied.
Government grants, contracts, education programs, or agency rules terminated or conditioned because of stated opposition to DEI or identity-based initiatives.
DEI rollbacks and retaliation claims involving employees, grantees, researchers, and organizations whose work is associated with diversity or environmental-justice programs.

Filed cases

Public court records · filterable + sortable

17 of 17 filings·112 hiddenBook a Demo

Filed▼	Defendant	Court	Firm	Industry	Theory	Complaint
Sep 11, 2026	Andrew McCoy; Lindsey Valentino; Michael Donnell; Jake Matthew Bell; Jason Burrell; Foster Rubinstein; J. Di Bella; Ian Brockway; Dennis LNU; Brandon Geer; Don Hilton; Brian Schenck; Edgar Lorenzo; Javier Lorenzo; Daniel Hutchings; Charlie Rodriguez; Nicholas Mulzoff; Regan D.; Markwayne Mullin; David Venturella; Thomas Brophy; James D'Amato; Agents Doe 1-60 5:26-cv-01716	Northern District of New York	New York Civil Liberties Union, Paul Tuck Law Foundation, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, Worker Justice Center of New York	Other	Other	View
Sep 4, 2026	The Chemours Company FC, LLC; The Chemours Company 2:26-cv-00560	Southern District of West Virginia	Goodwin & Goodwin, LLP	Waste & Environmental Services	Other	View
Aug 24, 2026	Donald J. Trump; United States of America; Executive Office of the President; Department of Commerce; Howard W. Lutnick; Department of Defense; Pete Hegseth; Department of Health and Human Services; Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; Department of the Interior; Doug Burgum; Department of Transportation; Sean Duffy; Department of Veterans Affairs; Doug Collins; Department of Justice; Todd Blanche; Department of Agriculture; Brooke Rollins; Department of Energy; Chris Wright; Department of Homeland Security; Markwayne Mullin; Environmental Protection Agency; Lee Zeldin; National Science Foundation; Brian Stone; National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Jared Isaacman; Small Business Administration; Kelly Loeffler; Federal Aviation Administration; Bryan Bedford; Office of Management and Budget; Russell Vought; Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council; Kevin Rhodes 3:2026cv00849	District of Maryland	Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense and Education Fund	Employment / Labor	Other	View
May 26, 2026	Donald J. Trump\|Department of Government Efficiency\|Amy Gleason\|National Science Foundation\|Brian Stone\|National Endowment for the Humanities\|Michael McDonald\|United States Environmental Protection Agency\|Lee Zeldin\|Uni…	Northern District of California	Farella Braun & Martel	Appeal	DEI program / public-sector challenge+1	View
Feb 6, 2026	Donald J. Trump \| Dorothy Fink \| Department of Health and Human Services \| Department of Education \| Denise Carter \| Department of Labor \| Vincent Miconei \| Department of Interior \| Doug Burgum \| Department of Commerce…	District of Maryland	Democracy Forward Foundation	Other	DEI program / public-sector challenge	View
Feb 2, 2026	General motors, llc \| Jon diewald	Eastern district of michigan	Not Provided	Other	Reverse discrimination / race-based preference+1	View
Dec 12, 2025	Jpmorgan chase & co. \| Jpmorgan chase bank n.a.	Michigan Eastern District Court	Stowell & Friedman	Employment / Labor	Diversity hiring / workplace practices	View
Aug 18, 2025	Lynn Fitch, et al.	Southern district of Mississippi	Jackson & Associates	Civil Rights	Diversity hiring / workplace practices+1	View
Jun 25, 2025	United States Environmental Protection Agency \| Lee Zeldin Appalachian Voices, 2°c Mississippi, Air Alliance Houston, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Bessemer Historical Society, City And County Of San Francisco, City Of Sacramento, City Of Springfield, Massachusetts, Deep Sout…	District of Columbia District Court	Southern Environmental Law Center	Environmental & Sustainability	DEI program / public-sector challenge+1	View
Jun 23, 2025	Yanai Oron\|Liad Agmon\|Vertex VI Fund L.P.\|Insight Partners XII, L.P.\|Insight Partners (Cayman) XII, L.P.\|Insight Partners (Delaware) XII, L.P.\|Insight Partners XII (Co-Investors), L.P.\|Insight Partners XII (Co-Investors…	Northern District of Alabama	Lee Law Firm	Technology / Digital Platforms	DEI governance & disclosures	View
Feb 20, 2025	Target Corporation \| Brian C. Cornell \| David P. Abney \| Douglas M. Baker, Jr. \| George S. Barrett \| Gail K. Boudreaux \| Robert L. Edwards \| Melanie L. Healey \| Donald R. Knauss \| Christine A. Leahy \| Monica C. Lozano \|…	Florida Middle District Court	Boyden Gray Pllc	Retail & E-commerce	DEI governance & disclosures	View
Feb 20, 2025	target corporation In re Target Corp. Securities Class Action Litigation	Middle district of florida	Boyden Gray Pllc	Securities	DEI governance & disclosures	View
Jan 31, 2025	Target Corporation	Middle District of Florida	City Of Riviera Beach Police Pension Fund	Securities	DEI governance & disclosures	View
Jan 31, 2025	Target corporation	Middle district of florida	Josh Dubin	Securities	DEI governance & disclosures	View
Aug 16, 2024	Adidas AG, Kasper Rorsted, Harm Ohlmeyer	United States District Court for the District of Oregon	The Rosen Law Firm	Securities	DEI governance & disclosures+1	View
Aug 18, 2023	Gannett Co Inc	U.S. District Court	Dimuro	Employment	Reverse discrimination / race-based preference+1	View
Aug 8, 2023	Target corporation	Middle district of florida	Lawson Huck Gonzalez	Securities	DEI governance & disclosures	View

Want to see who’s next?

0 predicted defendants are waiting in Rain Intelligence.

Be the first attorney to reach the next client in this trend. Rain Intelligence customers get the full list of investigations, AI-forecasted targets, and plaintiff-firm activity — delivered to their inbox before complaints are filed.

Book a Demo

30+

AmLaw 200 firms

$200M+

Attorney fees generated

Enterprise cancellations