{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-regarding-raytheon-diversity-training", "Cotton Demands Answers Regarding Raytheon Diversity Training", "2021-07-13", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nJuly 13, 2021\n\nCotton Demands Answers Regarding Raytheon Diversity Training\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) wrote a letter to Gregory Hayes, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Raytheon Company, demanding information about the company\u2019s use of training materials that rely heavily on racial stereotypes and appear to violate federal non-discrimination law. Cotton requested a response from Raytheon by July 23rd.\n\nIn part, Cotton wrote, \u201cThe training materials in question, such as Raytheon\u2019s \u2018Stronger Together Employee Guide,\u2019 encourage employees to become \u2018anti-racists,\u2019 a term popularized by Ibram X. Kendi, who the guide approvingly quotes. This material is rooted in a radical ideology called Critical Race Theory that denounces the United States as systemically racist and rejects important aspects of the American civil-rights tradition, including equality before the law.\u201d\n\n\u201cSetting aside the business sense of your company\u2019s advocacy, Raytheon\u2019s employee trainings appear to violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which forbids employers from discriminating on the basis of race or engaging in any activities that \u2018limit, segregate, or classify\u2019 employees,\u2019\u201dCotton continued.\n\nText of the letter may be found here or below.\n\nJuly 13, 2021\n\nMr. Gregory J. Hayes\n\nChairman and Chief Executive Officer Raytheon Company\n\n870 Winter Street\n\nWaltham, MA 02451-1449\n\nMr. Hayes,\n\nI\u2019m writing in response to a troubling news story that alleges your company is using training materials that rely heavily on racial stereotypes and appear to violate federal non-discrimination law.\n\nThe training materials in question, such as Raytheon\u2019s \u201cStronger Together Employee Guide,\u201d encourage employees to become \u201canti-racists,\u201d a term popularized by Ibram X. Kendi, who the guide approvingly quotes. This material is rooted in a radical ideology called Critical Race Theory that denounces the United States as systemically racist and rejects important aspects of the American civil-rights tradition, including equality before the law. Kendi, for example, openly advocates for discrimination on the basis of race to correct perceived injustices. Your company\u2019s trainings repeat aspects of Critical Race Theory, urging employees not to treat each other equally, without regard to race, but \u201cequitably,\u201d a term that is often used to justify unequal treatment on the basis of race.\n\nYour company\u2019s trainings also contain gross stereotypes about various groups, including the racial stereotype that black people as a group are \u201cexhausted, frustrated, stressed, barely sleeping, scared, and overwhelmed.\u201d The guide also stereotypes white people, Christians, ablebodied individuals, straight people, and English speakers, as members of \u201cprivileged\u201d groups who have \u201cthe luxury to ignore ... injustices.\u201d\n\nFinally, your company\u2019s trainings direct Raytheon employees to a variety of radical reading materials, including an article that advocates the \u201cDefund the Police\u201d movement. Given Raytheon\u2019s extensive business with law-enforcement groups, I find it hard to believe that the \u201cDefund the Police\u201d movement is in the interests of Raytheon\u2019s shareholders, let alone its employees and customers\u2014all of whom are normal citizens who would suffer the consequences of rising crime.\n\nSetting aside the business sense of your company\u2019s advocacy, Raytheon\u2019s employee trainings appear to violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which forbids employers from discriminating on the basis of race or engaging in any activities that \u201climit, segregate, or classify\u201d employees.\u201d\n\nThe previous administration observed that the kind of stereotyping and scapegoating commonly found in these trainings \u201cmay contribute to a hostile work environment and give rise to potential liability under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.\u201d\n\nGovernment contractors, as stewards of federal taxpayer dollars, have a special obligation to treat their employees equally, without regard for race. In fact, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act ensures that \u201cno person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin...be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.\u201d 4 If Raytheon or any other contractor is not fulfilling its legal obligations, Congress will respond, which could affect that company\u2019s contracts and ability to do business with the U.S. government in the future.\n\nWith these concerns in mind, please disclose to my office by July 23 any training materials on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that Raytheon uses to teach its employees. Please also disclose any vendors, companies, or individuals that Raytheon pays to administer such trainings.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-regarding-raytheon-diversity-training"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.811767065897584, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}