Chick-fil-A may be a fan-favorite fast food restaurant thanks in part to its mouth-watering chicken, but the Atlanta-based company is facing heat over its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program. The company announced Tuesday that it was naming Erick McReynolds to the post of vice president of DEI, and the news immediately sparked pushback online and accusations that Chick-fil-A has “gone woke.” Some even called for a Chick-fil-A boycott.
The outrage seemed to spark after political strategist Joey Mannarino tweeted, “We have a problem. Chick-Fil-A just hired a VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This is bad. Very bad. I don’t want to have to boycott.” In a follow-up tweet, Mannarino linked out to Chick-fil-A’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) web page, titled, “Committed to being Better at Together.” The page lays out the programs and initiatives the company has in place to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“Chick-fil-A, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity, equity and inclusion. We make employment decisions on a non-discriminatory basis and remain committed to maintaining work environments free from any form of harassment,” the page reads in part. “One of our core values at Chick-fil-A, Inc. is that we are better together. When we combine our unique backgrounds and experiences with a culture of belonging, we can discover new ways to strengthen the quality of care we deliver: to customers, to the communities we serve and to the world.”
The page also quotes McReynolds, who said he is “committed to ensuring mutual respect, understanding and dignity everywhere we do business. These tenets are good business practice and crucial to fulfilling our Corporate Purpose.”
In his Twitter thread, Mannarino also included a poll asking his 166,000 followers, “Are we boycotting Chick-Fil-A over this or no?” As of Wednesday morning, 46.7% of respondents voted in favor of a boycott, while a little more than 53% voted against. The poll and tweets also prompted several other prominent conservative accounts to weigh in, with Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, tweeting, “Chick-fil-A goes WOKE, commits to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion agenda.”
Chick-fil-A operates nearly 3,000 restaurants in the lower 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. In addition to its beloved chicken, the company has also been known for its religious roots and support of anti-LGBTQ organizations. Following pushback, the company announced in 2019 that it would stop donating money to groups that were opposed to same-sex marriage. The latest backlash the company faces marks just the latest pushback as companies celebrate diversity, with Target recently removing certain items of its Pride collection and moving its Pride collection to less visible spots in stores. Bud Light also recently faced backlash after partnering with TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender woman.
