Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has launched an official inquiry into allegations that a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) activist offered exam answers to black and minority air traffic controller candidates. The controversy erupted after reports surfaced that the activist had been providing unfair advantages during the examination process, raising concerns over the integrity of recruitment practices within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Duffy’s investigation seeks to uncover the full extent of the alleged misconduct that an air traffic candidate was allowed to cheat on an entry exam at the FAA.
A report reveals that audio recordings captured Shelton Snow, a National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees (NBCFAE) member, promising to give advance answers to Black and minority candidates before they took the entry exams.
“'I am about 99.99 percent sure that it is exactly how you need to answer each question,” Snow can be allegedly heard saying in the audio. “There are some valuable pieces of information that I have taken a screenshot of and I am going to send that to you via email.”
After the audio was leaked, Duffy announced a large-scale investigation into the matter.
“'I am launching a full investigation into the DEI hiring allegations at the FAA immediately,” the secretary wrote on X. “If true, swift accountability will come for those responsible. We need the best and brightest, not buzzword, DEI hires.”
Matthew Douglas, a former NBCFAE member, admitted that he knew several individuals who cheated on the exams.
“I know several people who cheated, and I know several people who are controlling planes as we speak,” he said.
This comes after President Donald Trump’s executive order to remove DEI-related positions within the federal government and cancel billions of dollars in DEI grants and projects, a decision supported by Elon Musk’s DOGE. The revelation raises questions about whether the alleged cheating is connected to recent plane collisions, including the deadly crash at Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington, DC, this past January.
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