DOJ opens civil rights investigation into Chicago hiring practices
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation into the City of Chicago and its hiring practices. The probe follows comments made by Mayor Brandon Johnson at the Apostolic Church of God on Sunday, May 18, that went viral.
What did Johnson say to garner the DOJ’s attention?
“In your administration, what are we doing to ensure there are multiples across the industries, there are multiple advantages that are not limited to 2% to 3% of a billion-dollar spend for the city?” Dr. Byron Brazier, the church’s pastor, asked Johnson.
“So when we say our people hire our people, I just want to name this. Two administrations ago, 70% to 75% of the administration was primarily made up of white and white men. In my administration, 45% of my administration is Black, 25% is Latin-a, 30% is white, 8% is Asian. It is the most diverse administration in the history of Chicago,” Johnson responded.
He added, “And so, business and economic neighborhood development, the deputy mayor is a Black woman. Department of Planning and Development is a Black woman. Infrastructure deputy mayor is a Black woman. Chief operations officer is a Black man. Budget director is a Black woman. Senior advisor is a Black man.”
Justice Department cites Title VII
In a letter to Johnson, the DOJ cited Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race.
“Our investigation is based on information suggesting that you have made hiring decisions solely on the basis of race,” Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general of the Civil Rights Division, wrote in the letter to Johnson. “In your remarks made yesterday at the Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn, you ‘highlight[ed] the number of Black officials in [your] administration.’ You then went on to list each of these individuals, emphasizing their race,”
Dhillon also questioned whether similar decisions were being made for lower-level positions.
Johnson responds to federal probe
Johnson responded to the probe Tuesday morning, May 20, saying, “Well I’m not surprised, right? This administration obviously has demonstrated a great deal of animus and disdain towards what is sensible about our country, and that’s the diversity of our country. And I’m very proud of the fact that we have one of the most, if not the most, diverse administrations in the history of Chicago.”
Chicago workforce demographics
According to the City of Chicago’s employee demographics:
- 38% of city employees are white.
- Nearly 30% are Black.
- 27% are Hispanic or Latino.
- 3% are Asian.
- The remaining 2% are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders, Alaska Natives, or people of two or more races.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
