Overview
- Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, the suit targets 2022 contract provisions that factor “underrepresented population” status into reassignment, layoff, and reinstatement decisions.
- Prosecutors say members of the Black Men Teach Fellows program received benefits unavailable to other teachers, including extra paid training days and exemptions from normal layoff rules.
- The Justice Department seeks a declaration that the policies violate Title VII and a permanent injunction preventing similar terms in future collective bargaining agreements.
- The complaint cites district documents setting BIPOC staffing goals, including at least 40% overall by 2026 and 54.3% of new teacher hires by 2026–2027.
- Minneapolis Public Schools adopted the language after a 2022 strike, the union said it was meant to retain a more diverse teacher workforce, and the district declined to comment on the new litigation.