Minneapolis Schools Sued Over DEI Provisions in Teacher Union Contract [WATCH]

The U.S. Department of Justice announced this week that it has filed a civil rights lawsuit against Minneapolis Public Schools, alleging that the district has engaged in unlawful employment discrimination against teachers through race- and sex-based provisions embedded in its labor agreements and staffing practices.

The lawsuit, brought by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.

It targets provisions in the collective bargaining agreement between Minneapolis Public Schools and the local teachers’ union, alleging that the agreement provides preferential treatment to certain employees based on race, color, national origin, or sex.

According to the complaint, the collective bargaining agreement classifies teachers differently when it comes to involuntary reassignments, layoffs, and reinstatement decisions, depending on whether a teacher is deemed part of an “underrepresented population.”

The Justice Department alleges that teachers who fall into those categories receive protections or preferences that are not available to other teachers.

Federal officials argue that the effect of those provisions is to deny equal treatment to teachers who are not classified as members of favored demographic groups, despite federal law prohibiting discrimination in employment decisions.

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In addition to the collective bargaining agreement, the lawsuit also focuses on Minneapolis Public Schools’ partnership with an outside organization known as Black Men Teach.

According to the complaint, fellows participating in the Black Men Teach program receive employment benefits and conditions that are not extended to female teachers or to teachers who are not Black.

The Justice Department alleges that those benefits include extra paid training days and exemptions from standard layoff policies.

The complaint states that such advantages amount to differential treatment based on race and sex, which federal law does not permit.

The lawsuit asserts that these practices violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Title VII prohibits employers from discriminating against employees or job applicants on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or religion.

The complaint also details Minneapolis Public Schools’ stated staffing goals related to race.

According to court filings, the district has set a goal of increasing the proportion of staff who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to at least 40 percent by 2026.

The district has also established a target that at least 54.3 percent of new teacher hires during the 2026–2027 period identify as BIPOC.

Federal officials argue that such targets, when paired with employment policies that provide race-based preferences, run afoul of federal civil rights law.

“Discrimination is unacceptable in all forms, especially when it comes to hiring decisions,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement announcing the lawsuit.

“Our public education system in Minnesota and across the country must be a bastion of merit and equal opportunity — not DEI.”

The Justice Department is asking the court to declare that the challenged policies violate Title VII.

It is also seeking a permanent injunction that would bar Minneapolis Public Schools from including similar race- or sex-based provisions in future collective bargaining agreements.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, who leads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said the case reflects a broader enforcement effort to ensure that employment decisions are made without regard to protected characteristics.

“Employers may not provide more favorable terms and conditions of employment based on an employee’s race and sex,” Dhillon said.

“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.”

The lawsuit places Minneapolis Public Schools at the center of a growing national debate over the use of race-conscious policies in public institutions, particularly in education.

While proponents of such policies argue they are necessary to address disparities, federal officials maintain that employment decisions must comply with long-standing civil rights protections.

Minneapolis Public Schools has not yet publicly responded in court filings to the allegations outlined in the complaint.

The case will proceed in federal court as the district faces scrutiny over whether its labor agreements and hiring practices comply with federal anti-discrimination law.