CarMax

Retailing

Risk Level:

Rating - Caution
Medium Risk

Summary:

CarMax has not publicly ended business relationships due to political or religious beliefs. It does not have viewpoint protections for employees, however. CarMax supports local LGBTQ Pride parades but does not get involved in national ideological disputes or policies. CarMax discriminates against religious organizations through its employee gift matching program, prohibiting donations to groups such as churches or mission-based charities, while it freely matches donations to Planned Parenthood and the SPLC. For these reasons, CarMax receives a "Medium Risk" rating.

Criteria
Risk Level
Rationale
Corporate Weaponization
Criteria

Has denied service to customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level
Rationale

CarMax has not publicly terminated business relationships due to religious beliefs or political views. The company received a score of 100 on the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). Among other requirements, this means CarMax has pledged to vet vendors based on LGBTQ policies (1).

Criteria

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level
Rationale

CarMax will not match employee donations to religious organizations unless “the activities sponsored are non-sectarian, such as soup kitchens and shelters” (1). However, CarMax does match gifts to ideological organizations through its gift-matching program, including the American Civil Liberties Union, HRC, Planned Parenthood, and the Southern Poverty Law Center (2).

Criteria

Employment policies fail to protect against discrimination based on political affiliation/views and/or religion.

Risk Level
Rationale

CarMax does not protect employees from viewpoint discrimination (1).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy
Criteria

Uses corporate reputation to support ideological causes and/or organizations hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level
Rationale

CarMax has supported LGBTQ youth organizations at the Virginia Pride parade (1)(2). CarMax has not used its corporate reputation to take stances on partisan political issues, however.

Criteria

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level
Rationale

CarMax does not use its corporate funds to donate to strictly ideological groups hostile to freedom of expression (1)(2).

Criteria

Uses corporate political contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level
N/A
Rationale

CarMax does not have an active PAC (1).

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
January 3, 2023

Company reports are intended for educational use only. Full Disclaimer

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