The Media and I: DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion)

By Henry I. Miller, MS, MD — Jan 09, 2025

Should individuals with schizophrenia or other severe mental disabilities be trusted to direct air traffic? How the FAA’s blind allegiance to DEI initiatives puts ideology over common sense. (It is only one example of DEI running amok.)

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My conversation with Lars Larson began with a provocative question: Should individuals with schizophrenia be air traffic controllers? I explained that the FAA’s official DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) initiatives aim to recruit people with various disabilities, including psychiatric conditions. We agreed that individuals with disabilities might be qualified for certain roles, but not air traffic control, which requires unerring precision and focus.

I explained that “blind, slavish devotion” to DEI is a broader issue. It doesn’t just compromise safety; it compromises government efficiency. I shared examples from my time at the FDA, like the paranoid schizophrenic employee who barricaded himself in his office during work hours. HR made it impossible to remove him.

Lars asked if figures like Elon Musk or Vivek Ramaswamy could dismantle bureaucratic excess. I was cautiously optimistic that the new administration would eliminate DEI initiatives and streamline certain agencies. To Lars' question about whom I would recommend for senior appointees who could accomplish such changes, I suggested two former senior officials at the Office of Management and Budget: Mitch Daniels and Susan Dudley.

You can listen to our entire conversation here.

For a deeper examination:

Should Paranoid Schizophrenics Be Air-Traffic Controllers?

DEI Overpromised, Under-Delivered, Ran Amok

Words Over Deeds: DEI Statements by Medical Schools

We Need Reliable Science, Technology, and Medical Expertise in Trump 2.0

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Henry I. Miller, MS, MD

Henry I. Miller, MS, MD, is the Glenn Swogger Distinguished Fellow at the American Council on Science and Health. His research focuses on public policy toward science, technology, and medicine, encompassing a number of areas, including pharmaceutical development, genetic engineering, models for regulatory reform, precision medicine, and the emergence of new viral diseases. Dr. Miller served for fifteen years at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a number of posts, including as the founding director of the Office of Biotechnology.