Technology company International Business Machines (IBM) sponsors at least two discriminatory paid internship opportunities, one that bars white and Asian applicants, and another that is only for women, with an exception for men who identify as women.
The two paid internships are held in conjunction with the American Physical Society (APS), a nonprofit organization that says it is “working to advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics through its outstanding research journals, scientific meetings, and education, outreach, advocacy, and international activities.”
“Applicants must be female, including all students who present or identify as women and/or trans women,” the eligibility requirements for the “Internship for Undergraduate Women” reads.
A description of the “Internship for Underrepresented Minorities” asserts that “applicants must be underrepresented minorities” before listing off the approved racial backgrounds of “African American, Hispanic, or Indigenous.”
David Bernstein, a professor at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia School of Law, told The Daily Wire that these internship programs “clearly violate Title VII,” as the statute “does not allow for race or sex-based preferences for employment except perhaps as part of bona fide affirmative action programs initiated to redress past discriminatory policies.”
“Even in such cases, companies may not have a 100% quota based on race or sex for specific positions, including internships,” Bernstein clarified.
The application site goes on to explain that there is “no citizenship requirement” and that “any student who identifies as a woman and an underrepresented minority is eligible to apply to both internships.”
The internship is intended to “encourage women and underrepresented minorities to pursue graduate studies in science and engineering.” Those selected for the program will work with an IBM mentor at one of the company’s offices.
IBM did not respond to a media inquiry from The Daily Wire.
Discriminatory programs are becoming commonplace in corporate America, especially in the tech industry. Apple will host entrepreneur training programs that are only open to companies with leaders who are women or who are not white or Asian, an investigation from The Daily Wire previously revealed.
Apple’s program similarly gave a nod to men who identify as women, with a disclaimer that reads, “Apple believes that gender expression is a fundamental right. We welcome all women to apply to this program.”
Tech giant Oracle similarly hosted an internship and scholarship program that barred white and Asian students from applying on the basis of their race, The Daily Wire also uncovered. Meanwhile, Microsoft put a cap on the number of white and Asian applicants who could apply for a prestigious fellowship.
But it isn’t only the tech industry that has instituted racially discriminatory requirements for internship and development opportunities. The Daily Wire revealed that NASCAR’s “Diversity Internship” required applicants to be a member of a non-white racial group, a requirement that a lawyer dubbed “blatantly illegal.”
NASCAR took down the racial requirement on their internship application following The Daily Wire’s report, but did not modify two different “development programs,” which are intended for those who are female or belong to a minority racial group.
Investment management firm Voya also listed racial requirements for their “Financial Services Diversity Scholars Program,” which did not accept white applicants. Meanwhile, a slew of companies, such as U.S. Bank, Bayer, Best Buy, Liberty Mutual, and numerous others, have participated in employee training programs from McKinsey and Company that intend to “diversify talent pipelines” and are not open to white employees.