PBS Takes Axe to DEI After It Reportedly Tried to Subvert Trump Executive Order

PBS fired two diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) executives and scrapped the department after Bari Weiss’ online publication Free Press was tipped off that the broadcaster was ignoring President Trump’s executive order eliminating the controversial initiative.

On Monday, PBS CEO Paula Kerger informed staff that it was parting ways with Cecilia Loving, senior vice president of DEI, and Gina Leow, director of DEI.

In the email, Kerger explained that the departures were necessary in order to adhere to Trump’s executive order from Jan. 20, which mandates the elimination of DEI-focused positions and funding in federally supported organizations.

“I know you join me in wishing them well in their future endeavors,” Kerger wrote.

She assured employees that the matter would be discussed further in an upcoming all-staff meeting on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, PBS had been contacted by the Free Press regarding a tip from a senior network executive who claimed that PBS had originally planned to reassign Loving and Leow to the station services department in an attempt to bypass the executive order.

“The people at PBS are very attached to DEI,” the source told the Free Press.

“Rather than making necessary adjustments to ensure the network’s sustainability, they were trying to move things around to circumvent the executive order.”

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Federal funds account for approximately 15% of PBS’s annual budget, translating to around $215 million, some of which comes through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The DEI department itself was established in 2021, with Loving and Leow brought on board to spearhead diversity initiatives at the organization.

According to financial disclosures cited by the Free Press, Loving earned nearly $400,000, including bonuses, in 2022. Leow’s salary was not disclosed.

During her tenure, Loving introduced programs such as “Meditation Mondays” and “Indigenous Healing Circles” to promote open dialogue and conflict resolution among PBS employees.

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Beyond budget concerns, legal questions have emerged regarding PBS’s hiring practices.

In 2023, the network reported that 68% of its programming was diversity-focused, and that nearly half of new hires were “BIPOC” — an acronym for black, indigenous and people of color.

The network said that three out of four new employees brought on board in 2023 were women. Some critics argue that such policies could be in violation of anti-discrimination laws.

A round of layoffs in 2024 resulted in 24 employees losing their jobs and the elimination of seven unfilled positions — though the DEI budget remained intact at the time, according to the internal source.

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