NASA Begins Implementation of Executive Order to Terminate Diversity Programs
WASHINGTON — The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is commencing actions to follow a recent executive order from the White House aimed at dismantling specific diversity initiatives within the agency. This move comes despite previous commendations of such programs by NASA’s current acting administrator, Janet Petro.
In a memo dated January 22, which was obtained by SpaceNews, Petro informed employees that NASA is taking steps to shut down offices dedicated to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) and to cancel associated contracts. She stated, “These programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination.”
This directive aligns with an executive order issued by President Trump shortly after his inauguration on January 20. The order instructed federal agencies to eliminate DEIA programs and related positions, labeling these initiatives as “discriminatory” and a significant misuse of public funds.
The following day, Charles Ezell, the acting director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), sent a memo to federal agencies mandating the removal of any “outward facing media” associated with DEIA programs by 5 p.m. Eastern on January 22. The memo also instructed agencies to place DEIA office employees on paid administrative leave. Additionally, agencies were required to submit lists of their DEIA offices and personnel, along with relevant contracts, by January 23, and to present plans for laying off DEIA staff by the end of the month.
As a result of these actions, the website for NASA’s Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity displayed a “404 Not Found” error message after business hours on January 22. Some users noted that the website had been inaccessible earlier in the day, while others were able to access it until late afternoon. Similar websites for DEIA offices at various NASA field centers also experienced outages or errors on January 22, with the Langley Research Center’s DEIA office site confirming its decommissioning.
In contrast, the DEIA-related website at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which is funded by NASA but managed by the California Institute of Technology, remained operational as of late January 22.
The OPM memo included a template for agencies to notify employees of these impending changes. This template mirrored the memo sent by Petro, which warned of “adverse consequences” for employees who failed to disclose any modifications to contracts or personnel descriptions since the November elections that might obscure connections to DEIA initiatives. Both the OPM template and Petro’s memo emphasized the importance of timely reporting, with a caveat that failure to do so within 10 days could lead to negative repercussions.
Interestingly, while Petro’s recent memo suggests a shift in her stance towards DEIA initiatives, she has previously spoken positively about them. In a November 2021 interview with Engineering News-Record, she emphasized the significance of diversity efforts at NASA and her personal commitment to these values. She acknowledged her experiences in predominantly male environments and expressed a deep commitment to fostering opportunities for growth for all individuals.
Petro highlighted the need for intentionality in hiring and recruitment, stating, “It is crucial that we are more intentional about hiring and recruiting… it is crucial that we are intentional about identifying diverse sources of talent to be among that pool.”
