The DOJ has filed a federal lawsuit against Minneapolis Public Schools challenging a 2022 district-union agreement that protects certain teachers described as “a member of a population underrepresented among licensed teachers” from seniority-based layoffs. The policy avoids explicit racial language, but the DOJ argues the district’s stated goals to increase staff of Black, Indigenous and other people of color show discriminatory intent. Supporters counter that the protections are a narrowly tailored response to documented disparities and that teacher diversity benefits students. The case could influence how school districts nationwide craft diversity and layoff policies.
DOJ Sues Minneapolis Over Teacher Diversity Protections, Prompting Legal and Political Debate
The U.S. Department of Justice under the Trump administration has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block Minneapolis Public Schools’ 2022 agreement with the local teachers union designed to protect and increase minority representation among teachers.
Background: The dispute stems from data showing nonwhite teachers were disproportionately affected by recent layoffs that are ordinarily governed by a seniority system in Minneapolis. In response, the district and union agreed in 2022 to limited protections for staff who qualify as “a member of a population underrepresented among licensed teachers.” The policy language does not explicitly mention race and was crafted, experts said at the time, to reduce legal vulnerability while protecting underrepresented groups.
DOJ’s Argument: The Justice Department’s complaint alleges the policy results in unlawful discrimination, citing district statements and goals about increasing the number of Black, Indigenous and other people of color on staff. The complaint also highlights the district’s efforts to recruit more Black male teachers — a response to a national concern about the declining number of Black men in the teaching profession.
Harmeet Dhillon speaks at the National Conservative Convention in Washington D.C., Sept. 2, 2025. (Photo by Dominic Gwinn / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
Supporters’ Position: Researchers, advocates and school officials point to a body of evidence linking teacher diversity to improved student outcomes for all students, as well as specific benefits for students of color. Supporters argue the agreement is a narrow, lawful measure to address a documented shortage of nonwhite teachers and mitigate disparate impacts from layoffs.
Administration Context: The suit has drawn attention to broader criticism of the DOJ Civil Rights Division under Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who has faced resignations and rebukes from former officials who say the division’s priorities have shifted away from traditional civil-rights enforcement.
Minneapolis Public Schools declined to comment on the pending litigation when contacted by MS NOW. The case is likely to prompt further legal scrutiny of whether narrowly tailored, non‑race‑explicit diversity protections violate federal anti-discrimination law.
Why it matters: The outcome could affect how school districts nationwide design policies intended to increase teacher diversity or mitigate disparate impacts from layoffs while staying within legal limits.
