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Accenture to pay $25 million to settle US government allegations over DEI
The settlement resolves allegations that Accenture used race and sex in hiring, promotion and training decisions, and it follows similar deals with Deloitte and IBM.
On Monday, Accenture agreed to pay $25 million to settle Justice Department allegations over its federal hiring and promotion practices. The settlement was made public on September 14, 2026.
Attorney General Todd Blanche launched the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative in May 2025 to target DEI practices within federal contracting, which the Trump administration has made a priority.
Prosecutors alleged that Accenture Federal Services gave managing director candidates "extra visibility" based on race or sex, while business unit leaders received monthly demographic summaries to inform hiring decisions between 2017 and 2026.
Accenture denied engaging in discrimination, resolving the matter to avoid litigation costs; the firm joins IBM and Deloitte, with the three companies paying a combined $63.5 million.
This scrutiny of federal contractors has prompted many large companies to scale back DEI practices, as federal agencies continue reviewing spending on contracts with 10 major firms.