Company: SOJE
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000092122-25-000036
Chunk: 105

Company: SOUTHERN CO
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 105
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 the largest companies in America promote divisive training concepts like critical race theory (CRT) that replace rich cultural and ideological diversity with a monolithic focus on group identity. Southern Company has stated that, "Our strategy for recruiting , hiring, retaining and developing employees includes a deliberate focus on DE&I." 2 In addition , the company states that it "expects all of its employees to commit" to these trainings. regardless of their views. 3

#### 88Southern Company2025 Proxy Statement

#### Stockholder Proposals
While companies often push concepts like CRT under the guise of promoting "div e rs i ty, equity , and inclusion," such efforts often have the opposite effect. Instead of creating workplaces that afford equ a l opportunity, DEI too often leads to hostility, polarization, and partiality by focusing only on differences based on skin, biological sex, or religious status.

According to the Freedom at Work survey, 60 % of employees were concerned that their company would punish them for expressing their religious or political views at work, and 54% said they feared the same fo r sharing these views even on their private social media accounts. 4

Companie s a re also facing increased legal and reputational risk for a broad array of DEI initiatives that make distinctions based on race in light of recent Supreme Court decision s in Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard, Groff v DeJoy [sic] , and C ity of St . Loui s v . Muldrow. Numerous l awsuits have been filed or threatened by state attorneys gener a l and a ggrieved employees. 5 Recent scholarship has cast serious doubt on the common assertion that DEI is good for busine s s. 6 The Wall Street Journal recently reported that " Diversity Goals Are Disappearing from Companies' Annual Reports." 7 And numerous companies are voluntarily removing DEI initiatives entirely in response to sustained customer dissatisfaction and public pressure. 8 In light of these risks, the Company must take immediate steps to assess potential shortcomings and allay these concerns.

Resolved: Shareholders request the Board of Directors conduct an evaluation and issue a civil rights and non-discrimination report within the next year, at reasonable cost and excluding proprietary and confidential information, evaluating how Southern Company's policies and practices impact employees and prospective employees based on their race, color, religion (including religious views), sex, national origin, or political views, and the risks those impacts present to Southern Company's business.

1 https://www.viewpointdiversityscore.org