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Kierra Powell

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With early in-house experience under her belt, Kierra assists clients with labor and employment matters. Kierra routinely handles internal investigations, particularly those involving allegations of discrimination, harassment, or civil rights violations. She’s passionate about the process of digging through witness interviews and other evidence to determine what occurred, and she loves working with employees and executives to fix problems and implement improved policies going forward. Kierra values the opportunity to help clients make their companies better, more inclusive places to work.

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While properly implemented DEI programs remain permissible under Title VII and other applicable laws, recent legislation proposed by Senate and House Republicans would seek to eliminate any such programs sponsored or supported by the federal government. On June 12, 2024, twenty-two members of Congress, led by Ohio Senator J.D. Vance (Donald Trump’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2024 election) introduced the Dismantle DEI Act of 2024 (the “Act”). With respect to the Act, Senator Vance stated, “The DEI agenda is a destructive ideology that breeds hatred and racial division. It has no place in our federal government or anywhere else in our society.” The proposed legislation seeks to eliminate all federal DEI programs and funding for federal agencies, contractors which receive federal funding, organizations which receive federal grants, and educational accreditation agencies. Although the Act would not apply to the private sector, the federal government remains the nation’s largest employer and the Act would impact a workforce of over four million employees.