Texas AG Ken Paxton Investigates DEI Practices at Boeing Supplier

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into Spirit Aerosystems, a large supplier to Boeing, after recurrent mishaps have occurred with airplane parts.

Paxton requested information about the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion practices as part of the probe.

The AG ordered Spirit to “produce all meeting minutes of Spirit’s Global Diversity & Inclusion Council(s). Meeting minutes is defined to include any document that memorializes the agenda or discussion of any meetings held by these groups.”

Spirit was also told to “Produce Documents sufficient to identify Spirit’s employee demographics for race, national origin, sexual orientation, and age before Your DEI Policy was enacted.”

“The potential risks associated with certain airplane models are deeply concerning and potentially life-threatening to Texans,” Paxton said in a statement.

“I will hold any company responsible if they fail to maintain the standards required by the law and will do everything in my power to ensure manufacturers take passenger safety seriously,” Paxton continued.

Report from The Hill:

Paxton’s investigation follows a series of costly and sometimes deadly accidents involving Boeing aircraft. In 2018 and 2019, 737s crashed in Indonesia and Ethiopia repeatedly, killing a total 346 people.

In January, a door on an Alaska Airlines 737 — part of the plane manufactured by Spirit — blew off the plane.

In February, Boeing halted deliveries of 50 planes after Spirit reported that holes had been drilled incorrectly during the installation of windows, The Associated Press reported.