Queen Creek’s Town Council recently approved updates to the local government’s hiring practices, including a policy that bars requiring practices related to affirmative action.
Jennifer Ward is a long-time employment lawyer in the Valley. She says town governments have the legal right to set the tone for workplace culture in line with the Civil Rights Act.
“That says that you are not allowed to discriminate based on any protected class in employment, so that's already the law,” said Ward. “It already requires that you hire based on merit. I'm assuming that Queen Creek most likely was already hiring based on merit.”
In a statement earlier this week, Queen Creek Mayor Julia Wheatley said they do, and the updates reaffirm that.
Goldwater Institute spokesperson Joe Setyon said the move is welcome news.
“It means that town residents can be confident that their elected officials and their town staff are going to focus on actual town business,” said Setyon.
Legally, Ward said the update doesn’t change much: “It's more, just kind of a cultural statement.”
But she said it reflects a national conversation as employers roll back Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging-related policies that many established following the 2020 murder of George Floyd at the hands of four police officers in Minnesota.
“It seems to be tapering off quite a bit,” said Ward. “That's kind of the trend that we've been seeing recently. And so I think that it's something that's important for people to know when they're choosing who to work for.”
Ward said a separate update that bars support for certain employee trainings could open the town up to potential legal action down the road. But ultimately, she said, it’s in Queen Creek voters’ hands.
