Department of Justice opens investigation into state of Minnesota over alleged racist hiring practices

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday opened an investigation into the state of Minnesota to determine whether it and the state's Department of Human Services engaged in hiring practices based on racial and gender-based discrimination. "Our investigation is based on information that Minnesota may be engaged in certain employment practices that discriminate against employees, job applicants and training program participants based on race and sex in violation of Title VII," wrote DOJ Assistant Attorney General and Civil Rights Division Chief Harmeet K. Dhillon in a letter sent to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and state Department of Human Services Acting Commissioner Shireen Gandhi.

Also, Dhillon explained in his two-page letter that the administration of President Donald Trump had reason to believe they were acting illegally. "Specifically, we have reason to believe the Minnesota Department of Human Services is engaging in unlawful action through, among other things, the adoption and forthcoming implementation of its ‘hiring justification’ policy," the assistant attorney general noted.

"Hired based on merit"

Earlier this month, the Minnesota Department of Human Services launched a new law requiring supervisors to provide a "hiring justification when seeking to hire a candidate who is not from an underrepresented group to fill a vacancy in an underrepresented job category." The department also told The Associated Press in a letter that the justification for affirmative action-based hiring for certain vacancies was nothing more than a state law requirement that has existed since 1987.

In connection with the investigation opened by the DOJ, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi commented in a statement issued Thursday afternoon that Minnesotans "deserve to have their state government employees hired based on merit, not based on illegal DEI," referring to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.