Who is Neela Rajendra, NASA's diversity chief, fired recently
What's the story
Neela Rajendra, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Officer, has been removed from her post.
The sacking of the Indian-origin official is part of a broader movement led by US President Donald Trump, who has opposed DEI initiatives, claiming such programs encourage unfair practices in the federal system.
Division dissolution
NASA disbanded its diversity division in March
NASA officially disbanded its diversity division in March, after an executive order by Trump prohibited DEI programs in all executive branch agencies.
Rajendra's departure comes after she survived a major wave of layoffs in 2024, when about 900 DEI employees at NASA lost their jobs.
The space agency tried to keep Rajendra by purportedly altering her job title to "Head of Office of Team Excellence and Employee Success," but was unsuccessful.
Work details
Rajendra's role and responsibilities at NASA
The page for Rajendra on the NASA jet propulsion laboratory's "Who we are" section now reads, "404 Page not found."
Rajendra led efforts to diversify the workforce. She supported the "Space Workforce 2030" pledge that sought to increase hiring of women and minorities.
In a 2022 presentation, she claimed "extreme deadline[s]" were hindering progress toward "inclusion" goals.
In her other role, lab staff were informed she would oversee "affinity groups," such as the "Black Excellence Strategic Team."
Departure details
Rajendra's departure and NASA's restructuring
Despite the rebranding, many of Rajendra's core duties remained the same under the new designation. Till early March, she was still the head of JPL's Black Excellence Strategic Team.
However, after reports highlighted her continued presence despite the wider DEI programs crackdown, her employment was terminated earlier this week.
Internal email from JPL Director Laurie Leshin confirmed Rajendra's departure and thanked her for her contributions.
Program termination
NASA's DEIA programs formally ended following Trump's orders
NASA officially terminated its diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) programs after all federal agencies were directed to dismantle such initiatives.
These directives encouraged federal contractors to abandon policies of "illegal DEI discrimination" and directed agencies to prepare lists of private companies that could be examined for their diversity initiatives.
The agency had been spending around $22.4 million annually on such initiatives and had been involved in DEI work for more than a decade.