{"id":333,"date":"2025-01-24T21:34:51","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T21:34:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inhealthyzone.com\/?p=333"},"modified":"2025-01-24T21:34:51","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T21:34:51","slug":"atf-accused-of-circumventing-trump-order-to-place-dei-staff-on-paid-leave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inhealthyzone.com\/?p=333","title":{"rendered":"ATF accused of ‘circumventing’ Trump order to place DEI staff on paid leave"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has been accused of allegedly quietly changing the job title of its former diversity officer as President Donald Trump ordered all federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) employees be placed on paid leave.<\/p>\n

The ATF defied @realDonaldTrump\u2019s order to place DEI workers on leave, instead giving their DEI officer a new title. They attack citizens\u2019 rights, ignore leadership, and act as though they\u2019re above the law. Enough is enough. Time to abolish the ATF!” Republican Missouri Rep. Eric Burlison posted to X.<\/p>\n

“The ATF, a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Justice\u2019s umbrella, previously employed Lisa T. Boykin as its chief diversity officer before her title was changed on the ATF\u2019s website this week to “senior executive” with the ATF. An archived link of the ATF\u2019s website reviewed by Fox Digital shows Boykin was listed as the chief diversity officer as recently as Tuesday \u2014 Trump\u2019s second day in the Oval Office \u2014 and now shows her as working as the agency’s “senior executive.”<\/p>\n

Trump had railed against DEI programs and offices at the federal level, as well as in the education system, throughout his campaign. Upon taking office on Monday, he inked an executive order terminating \u200b\u200b”illegal DEI and ‘diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility’ (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government, under whatever name they appear.”<\/p>\n

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President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday. (Jim Watson\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The following day, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) told agency and department leaders to begin shutting down DEI offices and to place DEI employees on paid leave.<\/p>\n

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Lisa T. Boykin’s official photo for ATF. (ATF)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Send a notification to all employees of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) offices that they are being placed on paid administrative leave effective immediately as the agency takes steps to close\/end all DEIA initiatives, offices and programs,” the OPM directive, which was obtained by Fox News Digital, read.<\/p>\n

A biography for Boykin from 2023 detailed that she began working as ATF\u2019s Human Resources Operations Division in 2016 and “as a collateral duty, in 2021, Mrs. Boykin also began serving as the Bureau\u2019s Chief Diversity Officer,” the New York Post reported.<\/p>\n

“With the Bureau\u2019s continued focus on enhancing DEIA, Mrs. Boykin currently assumes the work of the CDO in a fulltime capacity, leading and implementing departmental programs and mandates, while bringing renewed vision and effective strategies to maintain an informed DEIA culture for the Bureau,” Boykin\u2019s bio added.<\/p>\n

When asked about the title change and subsequent criticism on social media, an ATF spokesman responded that the agency has followed DEI directives from the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

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The ATF seal. (Ted Soqui\/Corbis via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“ATF began implementing OPM\u2019s Initial Guidance on DEIA immediately after its issuance on January 21, 2025, in response to the President\u2019s Executive Orders. We have proactively taken the necessary steps to ensure compliance with this guidance, including by placing impacted personnel on administrative leave,” an ATF spokesman told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n

Fox News Digital asked for clarification on whether Boykin’s new title protects her from administrative leave but did not immediately receive a reply.<\/p>\n

Fox News Digital also reached out to Boykin on her ATF email and received an automatic response noting she was unavailable to reply.<\/p>\n

“I am currently unavailable and unable to return e-mails at this time,” the email read.<\/p>\n

Social media commenters and critics of the Biden administration\u2019s diversity initiatives slammed the ATF employee\u2019s title change on social media, clamming the agency is “circumventing” the Trump administration’s orders.<\/p>\n

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\ud83d\udea8BREAKING\ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n

ATF is circumventing President Trump’s executive orders to crush racist DEI programs.<\/p>\n

To hide its DEI, @ATFHQ<\/a> quietly changed Lisa T. Boykin’s job title from “Chief Diversity Officer” to “Senior Executive.” pic.twitter.com\/WKFCWv5ftZ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) January 22, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n