A chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at NASA has been fired despite the space agency appearing to change her title in an attempt to spare her from President Trump’s executive order ending federal DEI initiatives, according to a report.
Neela Rajendra, one-time Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, was terminated this week from her newly minted role as head of the “Office of Team Excellence and Employee Success,” the Washington Free Beacon reported.
“Neela Rajendra is no longer working at [Jet Propulsion Laboratory]. We are incredibly grateful for the lasting impact she made to our organization. We wish her the very best,” a mass email from lab director Laurie Leshin, obtained by the Beacon, stated.
The move comes after the conservative outlet reported that Rajendra evaded the anti-DEI axe in 2024, when nearly 900 DEI employees at the space-faring agency were terminated.
NASA shuttered its diversity department in March, following President Trump’s executive order banning the programs in executive branch agencies.
However, the agency gave Rajendra a cushy new title with the same responsibilities, the Beacon reported.
On Mar. 10, NASA brass sent an email stating Rajendra would now be the “Chief of the Office of Team Excellence and Employee Success” — an office that would be responsible for lab “affinity groups” including the “Black Excellence Strategic Team,” the outlet said.
In a LinkedIn job description, Rajendra stated her job as chief of the newly formed office was focused on “unlocking our potential to Dare Mighty things TOGETHER.”
“I believe this change is essential for [Jet Propulsion Lab’s] future success and aligns well with Neela’s strengths and focus over the last year,” director Leshin wrote to staff at the time in an email obtained by the Beacon.
Rajendra led efforts to diversify NASA, including promoting the “Space Workforce 2030” pledge, which focused on hiring women and minorities.
In a 2022 presentation, Rajendra argued that “extreme deadline[s]” got in the way of “inclusion” goals, the Beacon reported.
NASA did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
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