“If your company previously resorted to racial preferences or naked quotas to offset its bigotry, that discriminatory path is now definitively closed,” according to the letter obtained by The Washington Post. The signatories were 13 Republican attorneys general, led by the chief legal officers in Kansas and Tennessee.
Even though the ruling itself does not affect a company’s ability to take race into account when considering candidates, nearly 70 companies signed an amicus brief last year urging the high court to keep affirmative action in place. They warned that less diverse student bodies could lead to less diverse pools of talent.
Immediately after the Supreme Court’s decision, several of the companies doubled down on their commitment to their hiring practices.
Still, the attorneys general on Thursday urged the companies to immediately cease “any unlawful race-based quotas or preferences your company has adopted for its employment and contracting practices.”
“If you choose not to do so, know that you will be held accountable — sooner rather than later — for your decision to continue treating people differently because of the color of their skin,” the letter continued.
Representatives for Apple, Amazon and Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
