In its initial complaint, the Justice Department said that Minneapolis Public Schools gave preferential treatment to racial minorities, largely as the result of a provision in the collective bargaining agreement made between the teachers’ union and the district.
A federal judge has dismissed the U.S. Department of Justice’s lawsuit against Minneapolis Public Schools, which the government had accused of engaging in racial discrimination by exempting educators from “underrepresented” minorities from seniority-related restrictions and mass layoffs.
According to CBS News, the lawsuit was filed this past December in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. In its initial complaint, the Justice Department said that Minneapolis Public Schools gave preferential treatment to racial minorities, largely as the result of a provision in the collective bargaining agreement made between the teachers’ union and the district.
The lawsuit claimed that teachers who fall into an “underrepresented” category are exempt from seniority order and layoffs; a third-party organization that contracted on the agreement, Black Men Teach Fellows, is also given priority.
On Monday, however, the lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice—meaning that, while the case is now dead, it can be refiled upon meeting certain requirements.
In his order of dismissal, U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz said that the lawsuit cannot be allowed to proceed because it improperly omitted the teachers’ union as an interested party.
CBS News notes that the Justice Department intentionally excluded the union, as federal law dictates that the attorney general’s office can only file certain discrimination-related complaints against government entities—not private organizations like labor unions.
“The court concludes that this action cannot proceed ‘in equity and good conscience’ without the Union,” Schiltz wrote, adding that any teacher who feels that they have been discriminated against has the right to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the school districted cast the ruling as a significant victory.
“Minneapolis Public Schools is pleased the Court granted our motion to dismiss this case,” the district said in a statement. “We remain committed to working with our labor partners to ensure collective bargaining agreements are in the best interest of our students and employees.”
During earlier hearings, Minneapolis Public Schools also noted that the Justice Department had, until that point, been unable to identify a single teacher affected by the “underrepresentation” provision. Though the district has made extensive staffing cuts over the course of the past three years, attorneys for the school system told the court that “in none of those instances was the challenged contractual language applied to determine whether a teacher was excessed or laid off.”
Sources
Federal judge dismisses DOJ discrimination lawsuit against Minneapolis Public Schools
Judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit over Minneapolis protections for teachers of color
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