Department of Energy Starts Probe Into Mandatory 'Workshops' on 'White Male Privilege' in US Labs

The mandatory courses, held under the pretext of fighting racism, gender inequality, and homophobia, have sparked strong opposition over being divisive in a country that has already been torn apart by various social conflicts and suggesting that those who attend are racists, misogynists, and homophobes.

The US Department of Energy (DoE) has ordered the National Nuclear Security Administration and the agency's inspector general to carry out independent probes after it was reported that the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), which works under its jurisdiction, had arbitrarily organised mandatory "social workshops" for all white male executives. The DoE said it was unaware of such training taking place and vowed to review the SNL's activities to ensure that all employees and contractors receive "equal treatment".

"The Department of Energy (DOE) leadership did not have knowledge of or authorize the use of taxpayer dollars for the reported social workshops at the Sandia National Laboratories, or elsewhere", the department stated.

Divisive 'Re-Education Camp'

According to author and researcher Christopher Rufom, who first exposed the phenomenon, the SNL, whose work is related to national security, essentially organised "re-education camps" to allegedly fight "racism, sexism, and homophobia" among a specific social group – white males. The organisers of the workshop promised to expose "white privilege" to the attendees, the author added.

The federal government's premier nuclear research lab hosted a 3-day reeducation camp for "white males," with the goal of exposing their "white privilege" and deconstructing "white male culture."

Here are the leaked documents from the race-segregated, taxpayer-funded session.👇

— Christopher F. Rufo (@realchrisrufo) August 12, 2020

The workshop trainers made the attendees go through a series of sessions, Rufom revealed. One of them was making a list of associations about white male culture with terms "white supremacists", "KKK", "MAGA hat", "Founding Fathers", and "mass killings" written as examples, the author said, providing photo evidence allegedly from the event. The organisers reportedly went on to "explain" to the executives how they were exercising their "privilege" as white heterosexual males and how their actions could be "devastating" to women and people of colour.

In the opening thought-work session, the trainers demand that the men make a list of associations about white male culture. The trainers write "white supremacists," "KKK," "Aryan Nation," "MAGA hat," "privileged," and "mass killings." pic.twitter.com/TUKARqvoar

— Christopher F. Rufo (@realchrisrufo) August 12, 2020

Next, the white male employees must expose the "roots of white male culture," which consists of "rugged individualism," "a can-do attitude," "hard work," and "striving towards success"—which sound good, but are in fact "devastating" to women and POCs. pic.twitter.com/saVYdG6bHJ

— Christopher F. Rufo (@realchrisrufo) August 12, 2020

According to Rufom, the workshop concluded with the attendees writing an "apology" for allegedly exercising their "privilege" and promising to change their behaviour, apparently regardless of how they actually behaved prior to attending the event. His revelation comes as American society is experiencing continuing racial tensions, which boiled over into mass protests this summer, along with a surge in social justice movements and a rampant "cancel culture".