Accenture Pays $25 Million to Settle Federal Discrimination Claims

Accenture agreed to pay $25 million to resolve allegations from the United States Department of Justice that it violated federal employment discrimination laws between 2017 and 2026. The government alleged the firm falsely certified compliance with equal opportunity requirements while using race and sex to inform hiring, promotion, and professional development decisions to meet non-public workforce composition goals.

Federal prosecutors claimed the company used color-coded demographic summaries to drive hiring and created separate promotion pipelines for candidates who met specific demographic goals. The Department of Justice further alleged that Accenture limited eligibility for professional programs, such as the Amplify to Elevate training, based on race and provided extra visibility to candidates of specific demographics.

This settlement is part of the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative launched in May 2025 by Attorney General Todd Blanche to investigate diversity, equity, and inclusion practices among federal contractors under the False Claims Act. Accenture denied liability, stating it cooperated with the review to avoid the costs of prolonged litigation.

Accenture is the third major firm to settle similar claims this year. IBM paid $17 million in April and Deloitte paid $21.5 million in August, bringing the total paid by the three companies to $63.5 million.