Dear CEO supporters,
Summer is officially here and things are heating up at the Center for Equal Opportunity.
We’d like you to join the fun as CEO president and general counsel Devon Westhill is headlining this week’s online event sponsored by the New Civil Liberty’s Alliance. The event— titled “What’s the EEOC So Afraid of?“—takes place this Wednesday, June 23, at 4:30 p.m ET and you’re invited. Just click here and sign up, registration is free.
More on the Wine & Cheesed series event from the NCLA:
“NCLA’s Executive Director and General Counsel, Mark Chenoweth, chats with Devon Westhill, President and General Counsel at Center for Equal Opportunity. Mr. Westhill was recently invited to testify before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on the topic of “Civil Rights Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic.” As the former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Mr. Westhill was eminently qualified to speak on the most important civil rights issue facing the EEOC: discrimination by employers on the basis of race or sex.
Mr. Westhill sent a courtesy copy of the testimony he planned to give, but then an all-too-familiar thing happened. The EEOC disinvited him, saying his testimony was too strident in its denunciation of corporations, like Coca-Cola and United Airlines, who discriminate on the basis of race and sex. Members of the EEOC staff told Westhill they did not care for his testimony’s “aggressive tone” or corporate “name-checking.”
What did he plan to say that was so explosive? Well, pour yourself a glass of wine. Grab some cheese from the charcuterie board. And let’s hear what Devon Westhill should have been allowed to say to the EEOC. RSVP today!”
CEO staff have been all over the news landscape lately providing comment on recent events. In addition to her podcast and frequent columns, CEO chairman and founder Linda Chavez has appeared on CNN’s The Lead and several other prominent cable news programs in recent weeks to discuss the state of the GOP, its future, and other hot topics. Devon has also appeared on several shows the last few weeks discussing, among other things, the EEOC controversy. Catch his interview on the Lars Larson Show and an earlier discussion on the American Political Zone.
Hot off the presses, CEO friend and ally Gail Heriot has an important new book on the damage racial preferences have done in higher education. The book, A Dubious Expediency: How Race Preferences Damage Higher Education, cites CEO’s studies and exposes the corrosive effects of identity politics on college and university life. You can order your copy here.
Also heating up, some potentially big news on the case challenging Harvard’s use of racial and ethnic preferences in its admissions: This past week, the Supreme Court asked the Biden administration to file an amicus brief. This makes it much more likely to end up on its docket. Former CEO president and general counsel—and current board member—Roger Clegg recently made a compelling argument in National Review Online for why the Court should hear this case.
As Roger puts it, “Only by overthinking could they have any trouble ruling that this racial discrimination violates the law. It is not only at odds with the relevant legal text but also unfair, and not only unfair but also unpopular — and not only unpopular but also making race relations in our country worse.”
CEO has, of course, played a huge role in this case, including releasing two studies on discrimination in Harvard admissions against Asian Americans (and a well-publicized event at the National Press Club to discuss our findings). And now, it’s clear the case has the Court’s attention.
None of our efforts would be possible without the support of folks like you. We can’t thank you enough and if you haven’t yet, check out our new revamped website when you get a moment to stay engaged.
Enjoy the start of what promises to be a hot summer and thank you again for your continued support.
Best,
Rudy Gersten
Executive Director
Center for Equal Opportunity
