While I’m working on an article about Berkeley High School proposing to cut before- and after-school science labs because they benefit white students, I wanted to point you to this story. A group of white teachers is suing the Board of Education in Peoria, Illinois, alleging racial discrimination.
According to the complaint, the board adopted “policies, practices, and plans” to hire more black teachers and staff, and to avoid discrimination lawsuits by black employees and citizens, which lead to discrimination against whites. Examples of the alleged disparate treatment:
White employees were told they didn’t have the skills or competence to teach black children because they’re white; white employees were prevented from attending school functions because they’re white; white employees were reprimanded for the way they dressed and blacks weren’t; (“One black employee regularly wore pajamas to the workplace with no action being taken to correct his attire.”); white employees assaulted by blacks; and white employees allege that black teachers and staff were hired based on race and not competence.
Download the 12-page complaint for details.
Is the board intentionally discriminating against whites to avoid liability for unintentional discrimination against blacks? The Supreme Court addressed the issue in Ricci v. DeStefano. In the context of employment tests, before employers decide to discriminate against one group to avoid disparate impact liability from another, they must have a “strong basis in evidence” to believe they would be liable.
“Fear of litigation alone,” contended the court, “cannot justify the City’s reliance on race to the detriment of individuals who passed the examinations and qualified for promotions.”
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