Mary Smith had a plan: She was going to serve as a member of a corporate board. She already had the resume. Smith is an attorney, and she had worked as the chief executive officer for the U.S. Indian Health Service, a $6 billion-a-year operation.
For the second time this spring, a California statute designed to promote diversity in corporate boardrooms was blocked by a state judge. On May 13, 2022, in Crest v. Padilla I (Los.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis blocked California boardroom diversity statute in Crest v. Padilla I, ruled California Corporations Code Section 301.3 requiring public corporation boards to include women violates CA Constitution Equal Protection Clause.
Two recent court decisions struck down two laws that sought representation from groups on the grounds the laws violate the Equal Protection Clause of California Constitution. Diversity on corporate boards will continue to be an issue with investors and other stakeholders.