(Washington, D.C.)- Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus released the following statement following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the New Haven,CT, firefighter case, Ricci v. DeStefano:

"This decision undermines the ability of employers to take necessary steps to break the hold of generations of discriminations against people of color and women.

“In writing the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Congress made it clear that employers are encouraged to correct their own practices in order to avoid litigation.

“The decision reached in Ricci v. DeStefano flouts the expressed mandate of Congress, which the courts have long honored.”