Wisconsin School District Faces Federal Civil Rights Complaint Over Hiring Practices
An ethics watchdog group is calling for a federal investigation into a public school district’s hiring policies and compliance with civil rights law
A Wisconsin school district is facing a federal civil rights complaint over allegations it used race based criteria in hiring decisions instead of focusing solely on qualifications.
Michael Chamberlain, president of Protect the Public’s Trust, said his organization filed the complaint after reviewing the strategic plan of the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District. The plan includes a stated goal of increasing staff diversity from 10 percent to 25 percent over several years.
If you are not yet a paid subscriber I ask you to become one to support my work. I can’t keep doing this work without your financial backing. Click the subscribe button below. You can leave at anytime. No long term obligation.
Chamberlain said the organization is requesting a federal investigation into possible violations of the Civil Rights Act, specifically Title VI and Title VII, which prohibit discrimination based on race in education and employment by entities that receive federal funding.
“They spell it out right in their strategic plan,” Chamberlain said. “Those kinds of numeric goals based on race are something courts have frowned upon for a long time.”
According to Chamberlain, the complaint was filed with the U.S. Department of Education, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Health and Human Services. All three agencies have offices tasked with enforcing federal civil rights laws.
Chamberlain said the district’s academic performance raises additional concerns. He cited data showing that roughly two thirds of third graders in the district are not proficient in literacy and two thirds of eighth graders are not proficient in math.
“The very reason the school district exists is to educate kids, and it is not accomplishing that,” he said. “Yet the focus appears to be on other priorities.”
Chamberlain said the organization learned about the district’s policies after a concerned citizen shared public documents outlining the hiring goals. He said the policies were not hidden and were publicly available.
He also said similar practices are occurring in school districts across the country, regardless of geography or political makeup. Protect the Public’s Trust has filed complaints involving schools and universities in multiple states.
Chamberlain said even one parent or citizen can make a difference by speaking up and drawing attention to policies they believe violate the law.
“All it takes is one person,” he said. “One person can point out what is wrong and get that information to the right people.”
Federal investigations can take months to complete, Chamberlain said, but he hopes the complaint sends a broader message to school districts nationwide.
“At the very least, they need to know someone is watching,” he said. “If people think no one is paying attention, they will do whatever they want.”
The school district has not responded to request for comment.
Why do districts continue to flaunt this stuff and think they can get away with it? The worst thing is many of them do. You know Eastern Michigan University had an office of minority affairs back in the early 70s. This was for Black students who had issues. Seriously???? I was the minority on campus. I know it has leveled out somewhat since then as I watched my grandson's graduation in Dec. 2023. I started the year they started dumbing down the curriculum . If you wanted the true college experience you needed to take the honors classes. My grandson did. I opted not to .