NBA news: chief DEI officer steps down

Lesley Slaton, the NBA’s chief DEI officer, informed colleagues in an email Wednesday she’s stepping down, according to Adweek. 

Brown joined the NBA as chief DEI officer in 2023. Before that, she was chief DEI officer at HP since 2015. 

Adweek reported the league will hire a replacement. 

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A basketball on the court next to an NBA logo during a break in the first half of a game in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

“The values of diversity and inclusion are central to the culture of the NBA, WNBA, and our other leagues and will remain core to our business and our workplace,” the email said.

Other American sports organizations have taken steps to distance themselves from DEI. 

MLB has removed “diversity” references from its careers page entirely. 

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A basketball during a game between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena Nov. 27, 2022, in Detroit. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

The General Services Administration announced changes in February to the Federal Acquisition Regulations meant to align with the president’s executive order aimed at restoring merito and ending discrimination in the public and private sectors. The move reverses previous Biden administration executive orders that made it mandatory to consider DEI when reviewing contract proposals. 

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The NBA logo during a preseason game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Atlanta Hawks Oct. 14, 2022, at Legacy Arena Center in Birmingham, Ala. (Mercedes Oliver/NBAE)

Under Trump, language associated with DEI principles was also ordered removed from any federal acquisition, contracting, grant or financial assistance procedures.

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