A step too far to undo racial inequity

I WAS astonished to read David D'Alessandro's suggestion that company executives should order subordinate managers to "find and hire a qualified black person" and should hold those managers accountable, at the risk of losing their jobs, if they do not accomplish the task ("The great lie in African-American hiring," Op-ed, Oct. 8).

Surely, a person of D'Alessandro's stature as a former CEO of a large financial services company must be aware that hiring employees on the basis of race is illegal discrimination, and that such an order would expose the company to significant legal liability from not only failed job applicants but also any manager who might blow the whistle on the executive and his order.

While some might argue that the paucity of African-Americans in the senior ranks of companies in the Boston area is regrettable and unfortunate, I would hope that intelligent, thoughtful people might consider that it would be more regrettable and unfortunate to ignore the law by condoning illegal racial discrimination to rectify the situation.

WILLIAM STUDZINSKI
West Newbury