Hartford, CT — Attorney General William Tong, as part of a coalition of 19 attorneys general, issued a letter to the American Bar Association (ABA), Fortune 100 company CEOs and other leaders to refute baseless attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and programs.
Today’s letter comes in response to one sent to the ABA by another group of attorneys general on June 3 falsely claiming that the association’s standard on diversity and inclusion violates the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (SFFA). That letter was the most recent of several attempts made by opponents of racial equality to expand the reach of the Supreme Court’s ruling far beyond its scope.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2023 ruling that higher education institutions generally may not consider race in admission decisions, groups seeking to dismantle broader programs aimed at reducing racial inequities have attempted to use the ruling to justify their actions, which have included intimidation and phony legal challenges.
After the 2023 ruling, Attorney General Tong and other attorneys general sent a letter to business leaders applauding corporate efforts to recruit diverse workforces and create inclusive work environments, clarifying that these programs remained legal and calling on the companies to maintain their commitment to diversity-focused programs.
Joining Attorney General Tong in signing the letter are attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul led the coalition.
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