Conflict continues over the response to the US Supreme Court’s ruling over affirmative action in college admissions. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, a Democrat, last week decried a letter from 13 Republican attorneys general warning companies could be sued if they use hiring practices that favor one race over another.

“The letter sent last week is an intimidation tactic to get private companies to halt efforts that address inequities and break down barriers for all our residents to enter and thrive in the workplace,” Campbell said in a statement.

She said the Supreme Court’s decision to outlaw affirmative action in college admissions has no effect on private companies’ efforts to recruit a diverse applicant pool and workplaces are welcoming to people of all backgrounds.

“Companies are not required to ignore history nor let present inequities persist,” Campbell said. “The private sector should not be intimidated by attorneys general suggesting that combating historic inequities is somehow illegal. Recruiting diverse workforces and creating inclusive work environments benefits all of us — and is good for business and profit margins, too.”

The letter went to CEOs at Fortune 100 companies. The coalition of 13 state attorneys general cited several practices it said were discriminatory and practiced by large private-sector firms. Examples included explicit racial quotas in hiring, recruiting, retention promotion and advancement as well as racial preferences or quotas in selecting suppliers.

“Hiring practices that favor one racial group over another are immoral and illegal,” Attorney General Daniel Cameron of Kentucky said in a press release. “I joined this coalition to ensure that systemic racial discrimination — like in corporate hiring — is a thing of the past.”

The Supreme Court’s decision is seen as having a possible effect on staffing firms even though it concerns college admissions.