Executives Go Quiet on Diversity After Affirmative Action Ruling, Conservative Threats

  • Companies avoid talking diversity after supreme court ruling
  • Abrupt change comes despite doubt over case’s applicability

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US executives drastically cut back on public discussions of workplace diversity last quarter, in the first earnings season since the Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action sent a chill through corporate boardrooms.

Mentions of diversity, equity and inclusion on earnings calls and at conferences among Russell 3,000 Index companies fell by 54% from a year ago in the third quarter to the lowest since 2018, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.