California Judge Rules Corporate Diversity Quota Law Unconstitutional

A California law mandating corporations set racial, ethnic, and gender identity-based diversity quotas was ruled unconstitutional by a Los Angeles judge.

The law, which requires California-based corporate boards have members from an “underrepresented community,” was signed by leftist Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) last year. It also required compliance with at least one member from such a community by December 31, 2021. By December 31, 2022, corporate boards were required to fill a minimum proportion of the seats on the board with “underrepresented community” members based on the size of the board.

Conservative legal watchdog Judicial Watch sought a permanent injunction on the measure citing the Golden State’s equal protection clause, which was granted with no explanation from the judge.

California lawyers argued the law did not “discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting” in a court filing.

The injunction “declared unconstitutional one of the most blatant and significant attacks in the modern era on constitutional prohibitions against discrimination,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said, according to Fox News.

California released a “Diversity on Boards” report in March noting 300 of 700 corporations had complied, but over half did not file a disclosure statement.

Breccan F. Thies is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @BreccanFThies.

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