The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) over a collective bargaining agreement giving preferential treatment to non-white teachers and shelling out other benefits based on race.
After settling a three-week strike of the Minnesota Federation of Teachers in 2022, MPS included a provision in new teacher contracts that let teachers who were not white bypass the normal system of layoffs and involuntary assignments (which are typically based on seniority), indicating the school system now has a policy of retaining racially “underrepresented” teachers over white teachers who have been there longer.
“Employers may not provide more favorable terms and conditions of employment based on an employee’s race and sex,” Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said in a Wednesday announcement. “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.”
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