An Oregon state official is being placed on administrative leave following a complaint filed by a former Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training staffer, who alleges the suspended official prioritized hiring based on qualifications over considerations of race and gender. Mike Shaw, the state’s deputy forester, is accused of ignoring DEI chief Megan Donecker’s demand that the hiring process incorporate an intersectional approach, which she claims would consider the historical oppression of candidates’ ancestors.
Donecker, a white woman who has since resigned from her DEI role in the forestry department, cited an environment where six “queer” employees reportedly felt unsafe due to a lack of discussion around personal pronouns. The DEI chief, who describes herself as an “accomplice to marginalized communities,” claims Shaw left her off of important meeting notices in an attempt to circumvent her attempts to change hiring practices.
She described Shaw’s stance on identity-based hiring as dismissive, likening his approach to “a speeding car on an icy road”—a metaphor suggesting potential recklessness in ignoring DEI principles. According to Donecker, Shaw replied to her icy road metaphor stating: “We don’t go 60 [mph] out of the gate, or we’re gonna crash the car.”
Shaw’s leave is part of an ongoing investigation into the complaint. Meanwhile, Donecker has transitioned to a new role with Oregon’s Department of Early Learning and Care, working as an “Equity Trainer” and “Education Coordinator.”
Numerous major American corporations have abandoned their DEI programs in recent months, driven by a combination of investor backlash and a drop in productivity among DEI hires.
