A federal complaint filed on Dec. 9 alleges that one of the largest school districts in Minnesota illegally prioritized race and gender in hiring and personnel decisions.
“Our public education system in Minnesota and across the country must be a bastion of merit and equal opportunity—not DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion].”
The district pledged to increase its “BIPOC” (black, indigenous, people of color) staffing to at least 40 percent next year and 54.3 percent in the 2026–2027 academic year, according to the complaint filed with the Minnesota U.S. District Court.
Moreover, the teacher union contract also classifies teachers for involuntary reassignment, layoff, and reinstatement depending on whether the teacher is a member of an underrepresented population, meaning non-white teachers are afforded greater protection, according to the complaint.
It also states that a third-party organization that performs work in the district, “Black Men Teach Fellows,” will receive multiple benefits, terms, and conditions of employment not available to female or non-black teachers.
These practices are a clear violation of federal Civil Rights laws that prohibit discrimination by race, the Department of Justice noted.
“Employers may not provide more favorable terms and conditions of employment based on an employee’s race and sex,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in the Dec. 10 statement.
The lawsuit asks for a permanent injunction ending these race-based hiring and personnel practices and to prevent similar contract agreements between the district and its teachers’ union in the future.
The Minneapolis Public Schools website affirms the federal allegations, noting that its BIPOC staffing goals for 2026 “are on track and in progress.”
It also notes goals for implementing “anti-racist social emotional strategies” and to increase “BIPOC student equity leadership and voice.”
The introduction on the district home pages says, “Minneapolis Schools exist to provide a high-quality, anti-racist, culturally responsive education for every Minneapolis student.”
The district also has a black student achievement office that oversees “Black Kings” and “Black Queens” initiatives designed to bring attention to what it says are inequities that black boys and girls experience in the public school system and accelerate their achievement, according to the website.
In an email reply to The Epoch Times, Mary Alice Rosko, Minneapolis Public Schools spokeswoman, said the district does not comment on pending litigation.
