Trump's week in review: White House defends Marty Makary, DOJ sues Minneapolis Public Schools

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Saturday, December 13, 2025

4. DOJ sues Minneapolis Public Schools for racial discrimination

In a statement published Wednesday, the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice announced that it had filed a lawsuit against Minneapolis Public Schools in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for engaging in racial discrimination.

The school district has allegedly engaged in efforts to increase the percentage of staff who are either black, indigenous or people of color to 40% by 2026 and ensure that 54.6% of new teacher hires fit into this category by the 2026-27 school year.

Another action singled out by the DOJ involves determining whether to involuntarily transfer, lay off or reinstate teachers based on if the employee is part of an “underrepresented population.”

The DOJ maintains that the school district’s actions violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin and sex. 

“Discrimination is unacceptable in all forms, especially when it comes to hiring decisions,” said U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in response to the lawsuit. “Our public education system in Minnesota and across the country must be a bastion of merit and equal opportunity — not [diversity, equity and inclusion.]”

Weighing in on the complaint, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division stressed that “Employers may not provide more favorable terms and conditions of employment based on an employee’s race and sex.”

Dhillon also vowed that the DOJ “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.”