State Farm is facing backlash following the release of an undercover video featuring its Vice President of Innovation and Venture Capital, Haden Kirkpatrick.
Kirkpatrick was caught making controversial comments about the company’s hiring practices and his views on California’s wildfire victims.
In the footage posted to X by James O’Keefe Media Group, Kirkpatrick discusses the company’s efforts to diversify its workforce. He expresses his clear preference for hiring more Hispanic and Latino employees in line with what he describes as the “demographic profile of America in 2040.”
He also candidly admitted to personally tasking his Human Resources team with prioritizing this demographic, saying, “I’m being biased … away from my own kind [Whites].”
These comments have drawn criticism, with some alleging that the company is engaging in discriminatory hiring practices that may be excluding white applicants.
“Unbelievable!! State Farm VP Haden Kirkpatrick admits to James O’Keefe’s undercover reporter that State Farm is engaging in anti-white hiring practices, excluding white applicants from employment opportunities while berating victims of the Palisades fire in Los Angeles,” radio talk show host Charlie Kirk posted in response to the footage.
“Policyholders should cancel their business with State Farm unless and until they fire this clown and apologize for allowing him to discriminate against American citizens simply because of the color of their skin,” Kirk added. “Enough of this racist, leftwing garbage.”
The VP’s additional comments about the victims of the recent fires in Los Angeles have also stirred controversy.
Kirkpatrick described areas like the Palisades as “a tinderbox” that should have never been developed.
Additionally, Kirkpatrick discussed State Farm’s decision to pull out of the California insurance market, citing financial concerns. He revealed that the company faced a projected $5 billion shortfall and that the state’s refusal to allow rate increases led the company to cancel policies for over a million homeowners.
State Farm’s refusal to renew the policies of thousands of Californian customers left them without coverage when the fires came, per The Los Angeles Times.
State Farm, once known for its catchphrase, “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there,” has now become the center of a heated debate over its corporate responsibility, hiring practices, and treatment of vulnerable customers.
As of the time of publication, State Farm has yet to respond to The Dallas Express about the leaked footage or controversial remarks.