NASCAR is offering a paid “diversity internship” that discriminates against white people by preventing them from applying on the basis of race, prompting some experts to raise legal concerns.
NASCAR’s “diversity internship program” lists racial requirements that exclude white people from the program.
The first requirement listed under the internship’s “Program Requirements” states, “Be a member of one or more of the following races/ethnic minority classifications: Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Latino or Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.”
Professor David Bernstein from George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia School of Law described NASCAR’s “diversity internship program” as “blatantly illegal” in a statement to The Daily Wire. Bernstein noted that NASCAR’s program would “seem to violate Title VII and the 1866 Civil Rights Act.”
“Having a 100% quota for minorities for a position is illegal even under a very generous view of what is allowed,” the George Mason University professor said.
Bernstein suggested that potential applicants could have legal standing in a lawsuit against NASCAR if they were discriminated against on the basis of race and prevented from being able to apply to the internship program.
NASCAR’s diversity internship program is only one of the company’s “Drive for Diversity” programs.
The “Drive for Diversity”campaign states, “NASCAR Drive and Inclusion strives to create an inclusive environment in all facets of the NASCAR industry recognizing the value of diversity, which allows us to go faster and farther in our workplaces, at the race track and in the stands.”
The company’s other “Drive for Diversity” programs also appear to have race-based requirements. The company’s “Pit Crew Development Program” is listed as a “comprehensive training program for aspiring minority and female pit crew members,” while the company’s “Driver Development Program” claims to provide “coaching, mentorship, and development” opportunities for “top minority and female drivers.”
Both the “Pit Crew Development Program” and the “Driver Development Program” restrict applicants on the basis of race, listing applicants as eligible only if they are a “member of one or more… ethnic minority classification,” such as African American, Hispanic, Latino, Asian or Pacific Islander and American Indian.
While NASCAR’s “Drive for Diversity” programs appear to discriminate on the basis of race, the company’s job posting website describes the company as an equal-opportunity employer.
“NASCAR is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO). We seek to attract and retain the best qualified people available,” the company states. “All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race.”
