Aug 26 (Reuters) - Home improvement retailer Lowe's

has scrapped some of its diversity, equity and inclusion

(DEI) programs, becoming the latest U.S. firm to modify such

policies meant to boost racial and ethnic representation.

Lowe's will no longer participate in surveys for Human

Rights Campaign, an advocacy group supporting transgender

rights, and is also combining its various business resource

groups that represent diverse employees into one umbrella

organization, an internal memo obtained by Reuters on Monday

showed.

The company will not be sponsoring or participating in

community events such as parades, festivals, or fairs and might

also make additional changes to the policies over time,

according to the memo, which was confirmed by a company

spokesperson.

Over the past few years, U.S. companies including JPMorgan

Chase ( JPM ) have faced a larger conservative backlash against

diversity initiatives which multiplied after widespread protests

following the police killings of George Floyd and other Black

Americans in 2020.

The protests spotlighted racial and gender disparities in

corporate leadership.

Some companies have received public shareholder letters

since 2021 claiming their DEI programs constitute illegal

discrimination and a breach of directors' duties to investors.

Groups opposed to diversity policies have also been

energized by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June 2023 that

struck down affirmative action in university admission

decisions.

Lowe's began reviewing its diversity and inclusion

programs around the same time, the memo showed.