JCPenney
Corporate Bias Rating
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Risk Level:
Summary:
JCPenney is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. JCPenney occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.
View Full Corporate Bias Ratings ReportHas canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.
JCPenney received a score of 65 on the 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruits employees based on sexual identity issues. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (1)(2). JCPenney has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on views or beliefs (3).
Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.
Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.
Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.
JCPenney former CEO, Marvin Ellison, signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace, strategize on DEI programs/initiatives with other signatories, and engage boards of directors when developing and evaluating DEI strategies (1)(2). The company openly opposes state legislation designed to protect female sports that it deems “anti-LGBTQ” (3) JCPenney promotes its “Pride Shop” with LGBTQ-related merchandise (4). The company opposed various state and local legislation intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces (5).
Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.
JCPenney’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company covers transgender related costs for its employees and their children, including paid short-term leave, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, chest surgeries, genital surgeries, medical visits and lab monitoring, travel and lodging. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). JCPenney donated $400,000 to ideological organizations including The Point Foundation, an LGBTQ organization (3). The company partners with and has made financial contributions to The Trevor Project (4). JCPenney sponsored the Kentuckiana Pride Festival & Parade in 2025 (5).
Board Bias
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1792 Exchange has not yet compiled data about the board of directors or political contributions of leadership for this company.
In the News
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