McCarter partner Franklin Turner commented in USA TODAY regarding the recently issued Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping.
“This has caused quite a bit of curiosity, fear and consternation amongst my clients,” said Franklin Turner, a partner with law firm McCarter & English who represents multinational contractors and small and medium-sized companies. “Companies have an obligation to ensure equality in terms of affirmative action requirements so most companies engage in this type of training to try to create an inclusive welcome environment for everybody.”
Turner says he’s read hundreds of executive orders over the years and has never encountered one like it.
“It’s clearly in my view something that is coming out because of this notion that it might perhaps help the president galvanize a certain segment of his core supporters. That is not how these things should typically work,” he said. “There’s also some sense that perhaps if we are looking at President Joe Biden come January 2021 that these requirements might go away as quickly as they have emerged.”