Donald Trump

‘We Do Not Tolerate Hateful Attitudes': Companies Address Diversity After Trump's Election Victory

The CEO of Grubhub sent a letter to his employees saying many of Trump's campaign comments "would have resulted in his immediate termination"

The leaders of some American companies are grappling with workplace diversity in the wake of Donald Trump's election as president.

Several CEOs have written letters to their employees ensuring them that they will honor and celebrate the diversity of their teams. One letter from the CEO of Grubhub, which he later clarified, singled out Trump for the statements he made impugning minorities during the long and rancorous campaign.

Matt Maloney, the food delivery service co-founder, sent an email to all his employees Wednesday saying he rejects Trump's "nationalist, anti-immigrant and hateful politics." He added that many of Trump's campaign comments "would have resulted in his immediate termination."

Maloney went on to say in the email that the Chicago-based company would fight on behalf of anyone who felt exposed in the wake of the election.

"If you do not agree with this statement then please reply to this email with your resignation because you have no place here," Maloney said. "We do not tolerate hateful attitudes on our team."

Maloney later clarified his position in a statement on Grubhub's website Thursday, saying his email advocated for inclusion and tolerance and that Grubhub doesn't discriminate based on political beliefs.

"The message of the email is that we do not tolerate discriminatory activity or hateful commentary in the workplace, and that we will stand up for our employees," the statement said.

Trump has not responded to these remarks, or others from U.S. businesses about diversity. NBC reached out for a comment from a Trump representative.

Aaron Levie, CEO of cloud storage company Box, reached out to his staff as well. He posted an edited version of his emailed message on Medium.com, writing that people "have been through an emotional roller coaster of toxic rhetoric and behaviors throughout this campaign."

"At Box, we are strongly committed to our values of openness and inclusion and will do everything to fight for these principles going forward," Levie continued, reiterating a commitment to building a culture that reflect's the organization's diversity.

"Rest assured that in this upcoming administration, we'll be a major advocate for all issues that affect our employees and our values as a company (LGBTQ rights, fair immigration policies, racial and gender equality, etc.)," Levie said.

Apple CEO Tim Cook also sent an email to his employees Wednesday night, after hearing from employees with strong feelings about the election, Buzzfeed reported.

"We have a very diverse team of employees, including supporters of each of the candidates," Cook reportedly wrote. "Regardless of which candidate each of us supported as individuals, the only way to move forward is to move forward together."

Cook added that Apple is "open to all" and that the company will "celebrate the diversity of our team," Buzzfeed said.

One company spokesperson that publicly supported the president-elect received a quick and fiery backlash Wednesday. 

A New Balance spokesperson expressed positive feelings about Trump's presidency to to a Wall Street Journal reporter Wednesday, at which point customers responded by setting their New Balance shoes on fire.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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