Justice Department Opens Investigation into Des Moines Public Schools for Race-Based Employment Practices

Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched an investigation into Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) to determine whether it engages in employment practices that discriminate based on race, color, and national origin in violation of Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964, as amended.

According to its website, Des Moines Public Schools requires that its teaching and learning staff match the student population in terms of “demographics and cultural responsivity.” DMPS also set specific quotas for “increas[ing] the number of teachers of color” in an affirmative action plan. Its staff retention strategy prioritizes “lift[ing] up voices of our People of Color” and “creat[ing] a safer environment for People of Color.” DMPS also operates the “3D Coalition” project, a recruitment and hiring program for “aspiring minority teachers.”

“DEI initiatives and race-based hiring preferences in our schools violate federal anti-discrimination laws and undermine educational priorities,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “School districts must cease these unlawful programs and restore merit-based employment practices for the benefit of both students and employees.”

You can read the notice letter here.