Tallahassee, fla. (AP) – New Attorney General Florida filed a federal court legal case against Target on Thursday, claiming that the discount shop chain “mislead investors” by promoting Variety, equity and inclusion enterprises stimulated backlash And hurt sales, eventually cost shareholders.
Before he Rated Back his Dei efforts last month was the target is long considered Corporate Advocate for Black Rights and LGBTQ+. Retailer's decision in 2023 to introduce LGBTQ+ Honorary Month Pride goods hooked some shoppers and trigger conflicts in some stores.
In the legal case filed in Fort Myers, Florida, the Attorney General James Uthmeier argued that Target was breaching the Securities Exchange Act by failing to disclose the “known risks” of its Dei and Month Pride initiatives.
“Corporations pushing a radical left ideology at the expense of financial earnings jeopardize Florida's first respondents and teachers' retirement security,” Uthmeier said in a statement. “My office will pursue corporate reform in preventative so that companies return to the business of doing business – not an offensive political theater. “
Uthmeier, who was appointed a general attorney By Republican Gov. Ron Desantis This week, he has pledged to use the state's legal concentration to “promote the American-first agenda” and challenge what he called “the left.”
Target did not respond to a request for attention.
Target announced at the end of January that it intends to abandon a program that aims to better serve black workers, black shoppers and black businesses. The Retailer based on Minneapolis led in a series of Dei enterprises following the Killing Police on George Floyd In 2020.
Since then, the policies of diversity, equity and inclusion have come under attack by conservative operators and The White House. Walmart and several Other prominent American brands Also scraped or reduced their DEI commitments.
Earlier this month, the Missouri General Attorney Smoke Starbucks over his diversity policies, claiming that the coffee chain was involved in “discrimination on the basis of racial, sexual and sexual orientation.” The Seattle company has called the allegations “wrong.”
___ Kate Payne is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse news initiative. Report for America In a national not -for -profit service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report uncovered issues.