Report: Federal Reserve tells workers to avoid using 'biased terms' like 'Founding Fathers,' 'manmade' — and even 'singular generic pronouns'

The Federal Reserve told employees to avoid using "biased terms" such as "Founding Fathers," "manmade" — and even to ditch "singular generic pronouns," Fox News reported, citing an internal webpage the cable network said it obtained.

What are the details?

A former Fed staffer with knowledge of the matter told Fox News the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors issued the guidance for all employees nationwide April 29.

"Bias-free language recognizes diversity and avoids stereotyping, demeaning, or excluding people on the basis of gender, race, ethnic group, religion, age, ability/disability, or sexual orientation," the guidance states, according to the cable network.

"Try to avoid words and phrases that may be considered offensive, pejorative, or prejudiced (whether consciously or unconsciously), as these can distract your audience from the ideas/information you're trying to convey," the guidance also says, Fox News noted.

What terms did the guidance reportedly mention?

The cable network said the guidance contains a list of off-limits "biased terms" that includes terms such as "blacklist," "grandfathered," and "Founding Fathers."

Instead, employees should instead use alternate terms such as "denied," "legacy," and "Founders," Fox News said.

Other terms such as "whitelisted, "manpower," "manmade," as well as "singular generic pronouns" – "he," she," "his," and "hers" – should be replaced with more "bias-free" alternatives such as "allowed," "artificial," the cable network said.

While the Fed stopped short of suggesting alternative pronouns such as "ze" and "zir" — which many readers of TheBlaze are all-too familiar with — Fox News said the Fed indicated "they," "their," and "theirs" would be fine alternatives.

What did the Federal Reserve have to say?

A Federal Reserve spokesman issued the following statement on the matter, the cable network reported: "The Federal Reserve has no language directives for employees."

Anything else?

The Daily Wire reported that the Federal Reserve's regional banks recently hosted "Racism and the Economy" for the purpose of "understanding the implications of structural racism in America's economy and advancing actions to improve economic outcomes for all."

The outlet added that Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey — a ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee — said he'd review the banks' focus on "politically-charged issues, like global warming and racial justice."

According to the Daily Wire, a letter from the Pennsylvania GOP senator to the Minneapolis, Boston, and Atlanta reserve banks reads:

Of course, racism is abhorrent and has no place in our society… I recognize the interest in studying economic disparities along demographic lines, such as race and gender. However, this subject matter is fraught with ideological assumptions and interpretations, and the work and analysis of the Fed seems heavily laden with political and value judgments.

Whether or not this is your personal view, I would remind you that only Congress has the authority to reform the Federal Reserve or modify its statutory mission. Moreover, I would caution you on the reputational damage being inflicted on the… Federal Reserve as a whole by pursuing a highly politicized social agenda unrelated to monetary policy.