Montgomery, AL – Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has joined a coalition of 15 state attorneys general urging the Business Roundtable, an association of CEOs from major U.S. companies, to reconsider and abandon what they describe as unlawful and racially discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
The joint letter, led by Missouri, criticizes DEI policies that the attorneys general claim prioritize ideological goals over federal legal standards and shareholder obligations. According to the letter, many Business Roundtable members have adopted DEI strategies that allegedly conflict with federal law, including racial quotas and mandatory training based on ideological viewpoints.
“The purpose of publicly traded companies is to drive job creation, fuel economic growth, and maximize returns for shareholders,” said Attorney General Marshall. “If discriminatory DEI practices actually advanced those goals, companies wouldn’t be retreating from them. However, we continue to see some corporations prioritize divisive ideology over their fiduciary duties, ultimately harming the very shareholders they’re obligated to protect.”
Marshall further emphasized that the use of racial preferences or quotas has been deemed unlawful by the U.S. Supreme Court, referencing recent legal developments around affirmative action and equal employment law.
The letter contends that the Business Roundtable has shifted away from merit-based hiring and shareholder-focused objectives. It asserts that the organization should return to its original mission of promoting economic growth and job creation through free-market principles, rather than what the signatories characterize as politically driven practices.
Among the points raised, the letter warns that DEI efforts built on racial preferences are “not only unworkable but also often illegal,” and it claims that some companies are already reconsidering or scaling back such policies.
In its conclusion, the letter calls on the Business Roundtable to recommit to hiring based on merit and to “immediately abandon quotas, targets, racial preferences, and other discriminatory DEI practices.”
Attorneys general from Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, and South Dakota also joined the letter.
As of now, the Business Roundtable has not publicly responded to the letter.
