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Tennessee AG co-leading coalition targeting large businesses after Supreme Court affirmative action decision

Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said he is co-leading a 13-state coalition to "raise awareness of laws prohibiting racially discriminatory employment" practices.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said he is co-leading a group of leaders from 12 other states that are targeting large businesses after the Supreme Court's decision on affirmative action in colleges.

He said he sent a letter to Fortune 100 companies to "raise awareness of laws prohibiting racially discriminatory employment and contracting practices." The letter is signed by Attorneys General from all 13 states. They include Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina and West Virginia.

In The Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College decision, the Supreme Court effectively struck down affirmative action in college admissions. It declared race could not be a factor in whether to admit students. However, students could still discuss how their race impacted their life in admissions essays.

The letter signed by Skrmetti says the decision extends into businesses as well. It asks companies like Walmart, Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, Chevron, Costco, Microsoft, Home Depot, Target, Tesla, Goldman Sachs and Tyson Foods to change their hiring practices.

The letter targets diversity initiatives, specifically using  Microsoft's efforts to use more Black-owned suppliers and Black-owned banks as an example.

"Social mobility is essential for the long-term viability of a democracy, and our leading institutions should continue to provide opportunities to underprivileged Americans. Race, though, is a poor proxy for what is fundamentally a class distinction," the letter says.

It also ends by saying companies that did not end their "race-based quotas" would "be held accountable — sooner rather than later."

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