Neela Rajendra, an Indian-origin employee at NASA, has been removed from her position following executive orders issued by former U.S. President Donald Trump. She served as the Chief of NASA's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) department. Trump's recent orders called for the termination of such DEI programs nationwide. Initially, before removing her completely, she was reassigned as the head of the Team Excellence and Employee Success division. Despite this attempt to retain her without violating the executive order, she ultimately lost her job.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) shared an internal email last week informing employees about Neela Rajendra’s removal. The email mentioned that she no longer works at JPL, appreciated her contributions, and extended best wishes. Rajendra was not working directly at JPL during her final days at NASA but was recognized for her significant service to the organization.
Last year, NASA laid off several DEI employees, including 900 staff members, but Neela Rajendra was not among those terminated at that time. Even though the DEI division was shut down in March due to Trump’s executive orders, she was retained by transferring her to a new role. A new department was even created to accommodate her, allowing her to continue similar responsibilities. However, just days after she updated her LinkedIn profile, the executive orders were enforced strictly, leading to her final removal from NASA duties. She had held several leadership roles, including as the in-charge of NASA's DEI division.
