The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) over layoff protections for teachers of color. The DOJ alleges that the school district is discriminating against teachers based on their race, gender, and national origin.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, targets MPS’s 2022 collective bargaining agreement with the local teachers’ union. According to the complaint, the agreement prioritizes teachers who are members of an “underrepresented population” in employment decisions and “Black Men Teach Fellows” for certain employment benefits, terms, and conditions.
“Discrimination is unacceptable in all forms, especially when it comes to hiring decisions,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi wrote in a statement. “Our public education system in Minnesota and across the country must be a bastion of merit and equal opportunity. Not DEI.”
What To Know About the Minneapolis Schools’ Layoff Protections
In 2022, the MPS implemented protections for teachers of color in its contract. At the time, 5.6% of licensed Minnesota teachers identified as teachers of color or American Indian, compared with 30% of the student population, according to CBS Minnesota.
In the agreement, protections were put in place to prevent teachers from underrepresented backgrounds from being laid off. While the contract did not eliminate seniority, protections were put in place due to “past discrimination by the district.”
“The research literature is very clear: teachers of color have a positive impact not only on students of color but also on white students,” Dr. Katie Pekel, executive director of educational leadership at the University of Minnesota, told the local news outlet at the time.
In the DOJ lawsuit, the complaint seeks a court declaration that MPS’s practices are discriminatory. The DOJ is also asking the courts to enter a permanent injunction against MPS to stop the district from implementing similar provisions.
“Employers may not provide more favorable terms and conditions of employment based on an employee’s race and sex,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon in the DOJ’s Civil
Rights Division, added. “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.”RELATED CONTENT: Teachers From ‘Blue States’ Must Take ‘America First’ Gender and Civics Test To Work In Oklahoma