Following United Supreme Court Rulings on affirmative action (STUDENTS FOR FAIR ADMISSIONS, INC. v.
PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE), LGBTQ+ rights (303 CREATIVE LLC ET AL. v. ELENIS ET AL.), and student loan debt forgiveness (BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, ET AL. v. NEBRASKA ET AL.), the LA Civil Rights Department released the following statement:
"Recent Supreme Court decisions have called into question our nation’s commitment to racial justice, equity, and civil rights. At LA Civil Rights, we remain undeterred in our mission to address inequity, discrimination, and a legacy of institutional racism.
Regardless of the Court’s current opinion on affirmative action, research through our REPAIR program shows clearly how race has shaped our history, and kept Black and Brown communities from pursuing economic advancement. Today, college enrollment rates still do not reflect our diverse communities, yet African Americans have the highest student loan debt burden in the nation. Through our Office of Racial Equity, Commissions, and Upward Mobility Programming, we will continue to reckon with this legacy and build more pathways for upward mobility and financial empowerment.
Our Discrimination Enforcement Division will continue to investigate private sector discrimination targeting the LGBTQ+ community. The court’s majority ruling in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis focuses only on ‘expressive’ businesses. It does not give businesses, landlords, or employers broad rights to discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
No matter who tries to take us back, LA Civil Rights is doubling down on fighting discrimination and injustice. Together, we will build an LA For All."