When a crippling ice storm hit Nashville leaving hundreds of thousands in the cold and dark, customers could rest assured knowing that the utility company tasked with restoring power made sure its employees were trained to recognize their “implicit biases” and had a diverse friend group.
In January 2026, winter storm Fern slammed into Nashville, leaving a heavy coat of ice that took out trees and powerlines throughout the city. The resulting damage left 230,000 residents without power for days amid frigid temperatures. During the storm, the Nashville Electric Service (NES), a public-private utility responsible for powering the city, was lambasted by residents and elected officials alike for its confusing communication about its preparation and response to the historic storm.
Amid the chaos, Democrat Mayor Freddie O’Connell attempted to shift blame away from his office while top Republicans pointed to the utility’s documented focus on DEI and climate change. Republican officials questioned whether the utility had become more focused on politics rather than competency.
Photographer: Kate Dearman/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
While previous reporting highlighted NES boasting about its DEI trainings, new documents obtained by The Daily Wire through public record requests reveal the actual trainings.
One training called “Building a Culture of Trust” focused on the concept of “implicit bias,” a theory that people are unintentionally prejudiced against others based on their identity. A training slide defined implicit bias as “a negative attitude, of which one is not consciously aware, against a specific social group.”
NES slide obtained by Daily Wire.
The training was facilitated in 2023 by Chandra Jarrett of the Nashville-based Joy Consulting Group, according to a schedule of trainings obtained by The Daily Wire. It was required for all supervisors and managers. The training did not appear on the schedule for the 2024-2025 training schedule provided to The Daily Wire.
The objective of the training was to “identify and create a culture of trust” and to “identify implicit or unconscious bias to become more aware of the impact on coworkers and customers.”
NES training obtained by Daily Wire.
Another slide says that implicit bias can be “thoughts or feelings we have without our conscious knowledge,” “can be stereotypes about others,” or can be “negative attitudes or opinions about others.” To combat implicit bias, employees were told to “intentionally” pursue “diversity in relationships.”
NES slide obtained by Daily Wire.
Employees were asked to consider whether they were “connected” to people of different races and sexual orientations than themselves.
NES slide obtained by The Daily Wire.
Later in the presentation, employees were given multiple examples of “implicit bias in the workplace.” One of the examples of “sexual orientation bias” included a fictional scenario where a woman was fired for asking for time off for a “Pride” event.
“A woman tells her boss she would like to take off for Pride weekend. Her coworker says, ‘You shouldn’t have told him that because he’s not into that.’ A few weeks later the woman is terminated,” the scenario read.
NES training slide obtained by Daily Wire.
An example of “gender and professional bias” in the workplace was the common cultural assumption that men will provide for their families.
“Men are often seen as ‘providers’ for their families, many times receiving higher pay and opportunities for promotion,” the slide says. “Women are not given the same opportunities, sometimes considered as inexperienced or unable to complete the same projects/tasks as men.”
NES training slide obtained by Daily Wire.
Another slide says that a hiring manager did not hire a Muslim woman because of her faith, even though the manager determined she did not have the skills for the job.
“A woman in a hijab applies for a position but she’s not considered because of your belief about Muslims,” the slide said. “Your assessment says she was not hired because of skills but the truth is that she was denied because of her ethnicity and faith.”
NES training slide obtained by Daily Wire.
Another slide appeared to be a personal story from the training administrator claiming that a white man told her she would make a “good maid” and that a judge confused her son as a criminal defendent because of his hair.
“A few years ago, my son entered the court room with his client and the judge assumed he was the client because of his locs. My son is an attorney,” the slide said. “Early in my engineering career, while working in a production plant, I was told by a White man that I would make a good maid.”
The presentation concluded by telling employees to “be curious by asking questions of people who can teach you about your implicit biases” and “courageous in admitting your implicit biases with a willingness to grow and change.”
Several of the slides from the presentation have the logo of the GiANT consulting group. GiANT told The Daily Wire it was not involved in crafting the training and did not create the slides.
“As part of our Culture of Civility and Belonging Training Series, we implemented these comprehensive professional development programs designed to enhance interpersonal dynamics and operational excellence,” a spokesman for Nashville Electric Service told The Daily Wire. “These modules were completed by employees in 2023-2025. We are proud of our employees’ commitment to these principles as they continue to serve our customers.”
Other trainings obtained by The Daily Wire showed that employees were trained in various leadership and communication styles, team dynamics, conflict resolution, and ways to increase “belonging” at the utility.
According to its 2024 Community Investment report, Nashville Electric Service held 102 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging (DEIAB) themed training sessions in 2023 and into 2024.
“These courses are the first step in a multi-year training series to foster DEIAB values throughout the organization,” the report boasted. The trainings were not mentioned in the 2025 community investment report.
As the historic storm left Nashville reeling, the Tennessee Star reported that the board of Nashville Electric Service was considering the contract of a DEI consultant. That prompted backlash from locals and Republican lawmakers who questioned why the utility was discussing DEI amid the disaster.
A spokesman for NES told The Daily Wire that it does not do DEI training.
“We hire, train and promote employees in accordance with laws governing non-discrimination, merit-based promotion and overall qualification to execute a job’s duties. We have had a long-standing commitment to maintaining a workplace culture rooted in mutual respect, civility and trust,” the company said.
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), currently running for governor, sent a letter to NES on January 30 demanding answers about the utility’s handling of the storm. In a post on X, Blackburn questioned its DEI initiatives.
“The Nashville Electric Service held 102 DEI-related training sessions by the end of 2024,” Blackburn said. “They should’ve been using those resources to trim trees and bury utilities. This is what happens when companies put woke politics over the needs of the people they serve.”
In the meantime, NES has hired numerous lobbyists to combat the criticism.
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