The push for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has reached absurd new heights, as illustrated by the latest saga in Oregon’s Department of Forestry.

According to recent reports, DEI strategy officer Megan Donecker successfully had her boss, Mike Shaw, placed on administrative leave simply because he prioritized qualifications and merit over identity politics when hiring new employees. Yes, you read that right—valuing competence over skin color and gender is now a fireable offense in some corners of America.

Shaw’s real crime? He reportedly insisted that hiring decisions should focus on the best candidates for the job, looking “beyond gender and identity.” For Donecker, who proudly identifies as an “accomplice to marginalized communities,” this was apparently unacceptable. She filed a formal complaint, accusing Shaw of creating a “boys club” culture where “queer staffers didn’t feel safe” because they couldn’t talk about pronouns.

Shaw had also made the reasonable suggestion that DEI initiatives should be approached cautiously, warning that charging ahead at 60 mph on “an icy road” would lead to a crash. Sound advice for anyone in charge of protecting 16 million acres of forestland, but not if you ask Donecker.

This all comes at a time when Oregon’s DEI obsession is increasingly under fire. Clackamas County recently dismantled its $830,000-a-year DEI office, citing it as an “unnecessary expense” that only sows division. And they’re right. These initiatives, born out of the chaotic summer of 2020 after George Floyd’s death, have grown into nothing more than bureaucratic busywork that distracts from the real issues at hand—like running an effective state agency.

Let’s not forget what the Oregon Department of Forestry actually does. This isn’t some obscure committee—they manage 16 million acres of public and private forestland, serving as Oregon’s largest fire department. They employ nearly 1,400 people and operate with a biennial budget of over half a billion dollars.

In other words, this is an organization with enormous responsibilities, and their focus should be on protecting Oregon’s forests, not fretting over whether someone feels “unsafe” because pronouns aren’t getting the spotlight they crave.

State Forester Cal Mukumoto, who oversees the department, seems more concerned about keeping up with the DEI charade than leading a competent workforce. His response to the controversy? Leadership is committed to providing a “safe, diverse and inclusive workplace.” But at what cost? Safety, diversity, and inclusion are all worthy goals, but when those priorities come at the expense of competence, everyone loses.

It’s no wonder residents are pushing back. Oregon’s DEI programs are not just costly—they’re divisive. DEI in its current form has become a weapon for self-proclaimed “accomplices” like Donecker to punish anyone who dares suggest that merit matters more than identity. And now, a qualified leader like Shaw, who simply wanted to hire the best people for the job, has been sidelined for daring to point out the obvious.