Department Of Justice Sues Minneapolis Public Schools For Discrimination Under Title VII Alleging Preferential Treatment For Teachers Of Color

On December 10, 2025, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in Minnesota federal court against Minneapolis Public Schools ("MPS") Special School District No. 1, its Board of Directors, and the MPS Superintendent. The Complaint alleges that the Defendants are discriminating against teachers based on their race, color, sex, and national origin in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, based on provisions in the Defendants' collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the teachers' union. According to the Complaint, the CBA requires the MPS to "excess" or involuntarily reassign teachers based on seniority unless a teacher is underrepresented, in which case MPS is required "to skip the 'underrepresented' teacher and 'excess' or reassign a 'non-underrepresented' teacher instead." The complaint further alleges that the CBA requires MPS to reinstate underrepresented teachers first, without consideration for seniority or the order in which the excessing or layoffs occurred. In addition, the Complaint alleges that the CBA allows MPS to exempt underrepresented teachers from layoffs.

The government also challenges a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with a Minnesota non-profit organization that is contained in the CBA. According to its website, the organization is committed to recruiting and retaining Black, male elementary school teachers. The complaint alleges that the MOA provides an interview and job offer process for organization "fellows" at a partnership elementary school, separate from the process for all other applicants, and that organization fellows are exempt from the CBA's seniority-based or general policies on excessing, involuntary reassignment, and reinstatement. It further alleges that organization fellows may participate in professional development events sponsored by the organization five days per year, with no loss of pay or benefits, and that other teachers to do not receive the same opportunity.

The government is seeking declaratory relief that these provisions in the CBA and MOA are discriminatory, and injunctions prohibiting the Defendants from applying the disputed provisions or entering into similar agreements in the future.

This lawsuit reflects the federal government's priorities regarding DEI-related initiatives contained in Executive Order 14173 (Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity) and Executive Order 14151 (Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing) issued by President Trump; guidance issued by the Department of Labor and the Department of Justice focusing on unlawful discrimination related to DEI in the workplace; and Attorney General Pam Bondi's July 2025 memo, "Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination." The disputed provisions of the CBA and MOA, as described in the Complaint, reflect the kind of preferential employment practices that the government has determined to be in violation of federal antidiscrimination laws.

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