Accenture agrees to $25 million settlement over DEI practices

Accenture agreed to pay $25 million to the United States government to settle allegations concerning its diversity practices. The settlement term between the company and the Department of Justice was publicly disclosed on Monday, 15 September 2026.

The agreement includes civil penalties and interest on the settlement amount at an annual rate of 4% starting 9 September 2026. The Department of Justice alleged that the IT consulting firm considered race and sex criteria during hiring and promotion processes to reach internal demographic goals.

The company stated that it complied with all applicable laws and that the agreement does not constitute an admission of guilt or legal liability. The text of the accord explicitly notes that Accenture denies engaging in any discriminatory practices. A company spokesperson said that Accenture cooperated fully with the government review and welcomed leaving the matter behind to avoid the operational costs and resource drain of prolonged litigation.

The resolution comes under enforcement actions by President Donald Trump's administration targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across public and private entities. Similar agreements were reached earlier by peers: Deloitte paid $21.5 million in August, and IBM paid $17 million in April to settle comparable government inquiries.