Pearson

Savvas, Rubicon
New Jersey, United Kingdom
Educational Resources, Media and Entertainment

Corprate Bias Ratings

Risk Level:

Rating - Danger
High Risk

Pearson K12 Learning rebranded as Savvas in 2020. Savvas acquired Rubicon in 2022. By complying with Human Rights Campaign’s controversial demands, Pearson increases the risk of dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders. The company covers transgender-related medical costs for its employees and their children and provides specific sexual orientation and gender identity-based benefits. Pearson forces employees to undergo multiple ideological trainings and uses its reputation, corporate funds, and political influence to support controversial sex and gender ideologies, organizations, and legislation. Pearson's educational resources are banned in multiple states because of the ideological viewpoints espoused within the curriculum. Pearson produces elementary-aged educational content containing lessons on LGBTQ, "Black Lives Matter at School", and intersectionality of identities. The company vets suppliers according to LGBTQ policies and its CEO signed the CEO's for Diversity and Inclusion pledge. For these reasons, Pearson receives a High 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

Pearson received a score of 90 on the 2023 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group (1)(2). At least two states have decided to ban Pearson’s curriculum from public school use for promoting racial ideology and “biased” statements on climate change incorporated into material intended for students (3)(4).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Pearson does not discriminate against religious organizations in its charitable giving. The company makes donations on a case-by-case basis to “provide access to quality education” (1).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Pearson’s HRC 2023 CEI rating indicates the company forces employees to attend multiple, controversial trainings on gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender issues, and divisive racial ideology. The company provides gender transition guidelines for its employees and a specific benefits guide with a comprehensive explanation of transgender services funded by the company (1)(2). Pearson does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (3).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy
Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Pearson’s HRC 2023 CEI rating indicates the company agrees to allow a controversial stakeholder group focused on sexual identity issues to dictate marketing or advertising strategy (1)(2). By doing so, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders. In recent years, Pearson has changed its publishing philosophy, leading to an ideological slant in its textbooks. In these texts intended for children, Pearson has published the terms “subconscious bias” and “intersectionality,” presenting the company’s opinions on these complex matters as fact (3). Furthermore, Pearson has included similar ideologies in its math textbooks, including a math problem regarding the “lack of diversity” in the New York Police Department (4). The company has also adopted “Gender Equality Guidelines” for its published works (5). Pearson’s CEO signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge,
which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace (6). The company also embraces ESG goals and priorities (7).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Pearson’s HRC 2023 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. Additionally, the company has pledged philanthropic support of at least one organization or event that promotes sex and gender ideology (1)(2). By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders.

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Pearson’s HRC 2023 CEI rating indicates the company publicly advocated for controversial sex and gender ideology through local, state or federal legislation or initiatives (1)(2). By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders. Pearson does not operate a PAC at this time but has not lobbied for ideological purposes (3)(4)(5).

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
February 14, 2024

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