The Department of Justice (DOJ) has brought a civil rights lawsuit against woke Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) over racially discriminatory hiring policies.
MPS and a teachers’ union have made a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) which prioritizes candidates from supposedly “underrepresented population[s]” for positions within the district. MPS particularly favors “Black Men Teach Fellows” when it comes to some employment conditions and benefits, a DOJ press release accused. All of which is illegal for a publicly funded institution.
Woke school districts continue to violate civil rights laws and new Trump administration guidance as they persist in using diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in their hiring standards. Minneapolis is, of course, one of the most leftist cities in the United States, so it is no surprise the public school district there is still trying to maintain DEI hiring under the radar.
“Discrimination is unacceptable in all forms, especially when it comes to hiring decisions,” stated Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Our public education system in Minnesota and across the country must be a bastion of merit and equal opportunity — not DEI.”
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Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division also weighed in. “Employers may not provide more favorable terms and conditions of employment based on an employee’s race and sex. 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,” she said.
On his first day back in office, Donald Trump signed an executive order banning DEI from federal government programs. School districts that receive federal funding also have to live up to these standards. But considering that an overwhelming majority of public school teachers and administrators are radical leftists, that is easier said than done.
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The DOJ filed the lawsuit against MPS in the U.S. District Court for Minnesota, accusing MPS of trying artificially to boost “BIPOC staffing” numbers “to at least 40% by 2026.” Furthermore, by the 2026–2027 school year, MPS aimed for at least “54.3 %” of new teacher hires to “identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).”
The DOJ press release added:
MPS’ CBA classifies teachers for involuntary reassignment, layoff, and reinstatement depending on whether the teacher is a member of an “underrepresented population.” The United States’ complaint further alleges that MPS awards members of a third-party group organization called “Black Men Teach Fellows” multiple benefits, terms, and conditions of employment not available to female or non-black teachers, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.
The district court now has to decide what penalties will be imposed on MPS for the civil rights violations. Hopefully, MPS will face significant accountability for its grossly unjust hiring practices.
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