NASA terminates diversity Chief Neela Rajendra following Executive Order

Washington DC: NASA has officially let go of Neela Rajendra, an Indian-origin executive who led the agency’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts, following the enforcement of former President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at dismantling such initiatives across federal institutions.

Trump’s directive argues that DEI programs have sown division based on race, gender, and ethnicity, wasted public funds, and in many cases, fostered discriminatory practices instead of eliminating them.

NASA’s Attempt to Retain Rajendra Fell Short

In an effort to retain her, NASA had strategically renamed Rajendra’s title to Head of the Office of Team Excellence and Employee Success, distancing it from DEI-linked terminology, even though her responsibilities reportedly stayed the same. However, those efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.

In a staff-wide update shared last week by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), employees were notified of her departure. The internal message from Laurie Leshin, Director of NASA’s JPL, read:

“Neela Rajendra is no longer working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. We deeply appreciate the contributions she made to our culture and mission. We wish her well.”

Survival Amid Budget Cuts, Until Now

Ms. Rajendra had been one of the few DEI staffers to survive NASA’s massive job cuts last year that led to nearly 900 layoffs due to financial strain. When NASA officially disbanded its DEI division in March 2025, Rajendra managed to stay on board under her new department—which was specially created to house her.

In an email dated March 10, she was reassigned to lead the Office of Team Excellence and Employee Success. Her responsibilities included overseeing “affinity groups,” such as the Black Excellence Strategic Team.

On LinkedIn, Rajendra wrote passionately about her new role, stating her focus was on:

“Unlocking our potential to dare mighty things together.”

Final Exit After Renewed Crackdown

Despite NASA’s efforts, a sweeping review and enforcement action by Trump’s administration in April led to Rajendra’s termination. She was among the last remaining DEI leaders in a federal agency before being let go.

Over the years, Rajendra played a key role in initiatives such as Space Workforce 2030, a program dedicated to increasing representation of women and minorities across NASA.

End of an Era for DEI in Federal Agencies

With Rajendra’s exit, NASA has now joined numerous federal bodies that have dismantled their diversity departments in line with Trump’s mandate. The executive order claims DEI frameworks have:

Divided the nation along racial and gender lines
Misused federal resources
And “led to discriminatory outcomes” rather than inclusivity

The order aims to “terminate employment and funding for all diversity-focused roles and programs across government agencies.”

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