DOJ Probing Chicago Over Potentially Discriminatory Hiring Practices

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched a civil rights investigation into the city of Chicago for potential racial discrimination in hiring after the city’s mayor publicly touted the number of black leaders he elevated to positions of power.

On Monday, the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division sent a letter to Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, saying it believes city officials have made employment decisions based on race in potential violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The investigation was prompted by Mayor Brandon Johnson’s comments on Sunday during a visit to the Apostolic Church of God on Chicago’s South Side in which he emphasized the race of top appointees in his administration and said that part of his motivation for hiring them is to “ensure that our people get a chance to grow their businesses.”

DOJ Letter to City of Chicago by melissa on Scribd

📺 Embedded media — coming soon

“You ‘highlight the number of Black officials in administration,’ … You then said that you were ‘laying’ these positions ‘out’ to ‘ensure that our people get a chance to grow their business,’” Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon wrote to Johnson.

“I have authorized an investigation to determine whether the City of Chicago is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination. If these kind of hiring decisions are being made for top-level positions in your administration, then it begs the question whether such decisions are also being made for lower-level positions.” Dhillon continued.