A California judge struck down as unconstitutional the state’s law forcing publicly held corporations headquartered in California to meet a quota of board members who self-identify as women or face fines.
Los Angeles County-based California Superior Court Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis ruled (pdf) May 13 in Crest v. Padilla that the state law known as SB 826 that compelled corporate boards to seat up to three female-identifying directors ran afoul of the constitutional right to equal treatment.
The goal of SB 826 “was to achieve general equity or parity; its goal was not to boost California’s economy, not to improve opportunities for women in the workplace nor not to protect California taxpayers, public employees, pensions and retirees,” the judge wrote.
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