Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton today sent letters to 51 law firms detailing the possible federal civil rights laws they and their clients may be violating with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, if those programs treat people differently based on race. The letter advises the law firms to preserve documents relevant to those DEI practices in preparation for congressional oversight and private lawsuits over illegal racial discrimination in DEI programs. 

In part, Senator Cotton wrote:
“Federal law has long prohibited treating employees differently because of their race. Employers should take to heart the Supreme Court’s recent declaration that ‘eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it.’ Congress will increasingly use its oversight powers—and private individuals and organizations will increasingly use the courts—to scrutinize the proliferation of race-based employment practices.”

Full text of the letters may be found here and below.