The Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against Minneapolis Public Schools (Board), Special School District No. 1, the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) and MPS Superintendent Lisa Sayles-Adams over alleged racial discrimination against teachers.
The DOJ claims that since July 1, 2021, the defendants have worked with a teacher's union to provide "black teachers, teachers of color, and 'underrepresented' teachers preferential treatment in employment decisions." Meaning that teachers who were deemed to be members of "underrepresented groups" were skipped for things such as reassignments and even layoffs, according to the DOJ.
"Discrimination is unacceptable in all forms, especially when it comes to hiring decisions. Our public education system in Minnesota and across the country must be a bastion of merit and equal opportunity - not DEI," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a DOJ statement.
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The collective bargaining agreement also includes the defendants' relationship with a third-party group known as "Black Men Teach." Fellows of "Black Men Teach" were allotted extra paid training days and were exempt from "normal layoff policies, according to the DOJ. The department pointed out that, as the name implies, only black men are allowed to become "Black Men Teach" fellows.
"While Defendants claim that these provisions are to stop discrimination, they require Defendants to blatantly discriminate against teachers based on their race, color, sex and national origin," the DOJ complaint reads.
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The department also claims that MPS documents show the district is aiming to increase the number of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) staff by 40%. Additionally, the DOJ says the documents show that MPS is working to ensure that by 2026-2027 that at least 54.3% of new teacher hires are BIPOC.
"Employers may not provide more favorable terms and conditions of employment based on an employee's race and sex," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said in a statement. "The Department of Justice will vigorously pursue employers who deny their employees equal opportunities and benefits by classifying and limiting them based on their race, color, national origin or sex."
In the complaint, the DOJ urges the court to declare the policies to be discriminatory and in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and to prevent the district from implementing similar provisions in a future collective bargaining agreement.
MPS told Fox News Digital that it does not comment on pending litigation.
