TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Deloitte has agreed to pay $1.2 million to the State of Florida to resolve allegations that the company violated state law by considering race and sex in employment decisions while certifying compliance with anti-discrimination requirements in state contracts, according to Attorney General James Uthmeier.
In a release on Wednesday, state officials announced the settlement, saying government contractors cannot reward or penalize employees based on race or sex.
“Discrimination under DEI is still discrimination,” Uthmeier said. “Merit drives opportunity in Florida, not someone’s race or sex.”
Florida alleged that, from about 2017 through early 2025, Deloitte used race- and sex-based workforce composition goals in hiring, promotion and staffing decisions. Business units reportedly received monthly summaries showing progress toward demographic targets, with results marked green, yellow or red.
The state also alleged that senior leaders were evaluated partly on their contributions toward meeting the goals. For two years, compensation for about 150 senior Deloitte leaders was affected if their business units failed to meet demographic targets.
According to the allegations, business units were assigned goals for the racial and sex makeup of annual partner classes. Some training, mentoring, leadership development, educational and similar opportunities were also limited based on race or sex.
The alleged practices occurred while Deloitte certified that it provided equal employment opportunities without regard to race or sex, a condition of its Florida state contracts.
The Florida resolution is part of a coordinated settlement. Deloitte also agreed to pay $21.5 million to the U.S. Department of Justice and approximately $1.2 million to Indiana to resolve parallel allegations under the federal False Claims Act and similar state laws, the release shows.
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