GOP attorneys general cite affirmative action ruling in warning to companies over ‘discrimination’

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS and GEOFF MULVIHILL
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Thirteen state attorneys general – all Republicans – sent a letter Thursday to the CEOs of the U.S.’s 100 biggest companies, warning of legal consequences for using race as a factor in hiring and employment practices. The letter cited the Supreme Court’s recent and controversial affirmative action ruling — which declared that race cannot be a factor in college admissions. The states’ top government lawyers argued that the June ruling could also apply to private entities, like employers. Some legal experts pushed back — noting that the court’s ruling applies to higher-education institutions and other entities that receive federal funding, and doesn’t directly change private employer obligations.