Attorney General Alan Wilson of South Carolina has aligned with 14 other state attorneys general in a collective urging directed at the Business Roundtable, a known association of leading companies in the country. The call is for the cessation of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The letter asserts that many member companies have moved away from free-market principles, opting instead for costly DEI policies, contrary to the Supreme Court's guidance.
The group of attorneys general is advocating for the Business Roundtable to return to its original objectives of fostering economic growth, job creation, and shareholder returns without racial quotas and mandatory ideological training. The letter contends that practices deviating from merit-based hiring are "not only unworkable but also often illegal."
"This should not be a difficult issue," stated Attorney General Wilson. "As we say in our letter, racial quotas are unlawful and corporations must treat all employees equally, without regard to race."
The correspondence points out that members of the Business Roundtable are beginning to notice a shift and reconsider these policies. It suggests that corporations should focus on their shareholders and employ individuals based on merit rather than protected characteristics.
The letter concludes by calling for the Business Roundtable to recommit to merit-based hiring. It warns that failure to do so could result in possible legal actions from state attorneys general. The document states, "The Business Roundtable's member CEOs should immediately abandon quotas, targets, racial preferences, and other discriminatory DEI practices. Or face the potential of legal action by state attorneys general."
States represented in the joint signing, apart from South Carolina, include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, and South Dakota.