Textron - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Textron is Medium Risk.

Textron 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. The company 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.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Medium Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	High Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	Medium Risk
Funding	High Risk
Political Actions	Lower Risk

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled 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:

Medium

Rationale:

Textron received a score of 30 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). The company integrates ESG into its business practices, tying executive compensation to ESG metrics. From its 2024 Proxy Statement: “For over a decade, Textron has allocated 5% of annual incentive compensation for management level employees toward achievement of diversity goals. Beginning in 2024, 5% of annual incentive compensation will be earned based upon a qualitative assessment that may incorporate quantitative and qualitative data with respect to our progress and achievement of environmental, social, and governance goals, including diversity and inclusion” (3)(4). Textron promotes divisive sex and gender policies. Its Code of Conduct for Suppliers and other Business Partners requires international vendors to include sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policy (5). However, the company has not canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (6).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Textron’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2). The company does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs (3).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Textron offers inclusion and unconscious bias training to its employees and recruiters (1). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its recruitment. From its 2023 CSR Report: “To ensure we are reaching candidates with diverse characteristics, backgrounds and experiences across our businesses and functions, we also work with these
organizations” (2). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (3).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Textron supports DEI within its business practices. From its 2023 CSR Report: “Textron is committed to having a diverse workforce and inclusive workplaces throughout our global operations” (1). Otherwise, the company has not supported ideological causes or policies (2).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Textron’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company provides a benefits package for employees that includes some transgender medical benefits for covered employees and dependents, including children. This may include 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). The company is a member of the MCCA, indicating its focus on recruiting, retaining, and promoting employees based on race (3)(4). Textron sponsored Augusta Pride in 2025 (5). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (6).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Textron has not used its PAC donations or lobbying for ideological purposes (1)(2)(3).