The Missouri attorney general is investigating the city of Columbia for illegal race-based policies in hiring, funding and access to public programs under the auspices of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.
Andrew Bailey sent a Sunshine Law open records request Tuesday to Columbia officials demanding any records with the terms “racial equity toolkit,” “racial equity lens” or just “equity,” as well as the racial equity toolkit and racial equity lens documents themselves.
The AG’s request includes records and correspondence in the possession of Mayor Barbara Buffaloe, City Manager De’Carlon Seewood and five named council members: Valerie Carroll, Jacque Sample, Nick Foster, Donald Waterman and Betsy Peters, all since March 1.
“It has been reported to the Attorney General’s Office that the City of Columbia is using race-based guidelines and benchmarks as criteria for official city actions, including in the disbursement of funds, hiring of employees, and admittance to programs,” Bailey’s records request reads.
“If these reports are true, the City of Columbia would be in violation of both federal and state law.”
Bailey expounded on his concerns in a press release Tuesday.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey
“We will not allow government at any level to implement systemically racist policies under the false banner of ‘equity,’ a term which city officials have been hesitant to agree upon. Our laws are clear: race-based quotas in public policy are illegal and unconstitutional.”
Bailey’s press release notes the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions vs. Harvard and the University of North Carolina that said race-based decision making is unconstitutional.
Race-based policies in Columbia, “if verified, may represent violations of both state and federal law,” Bailey warned in his statement.
“The City of Columbia made it clear in their 2021 Strategic Plan that they intended to adopt a ‘racial equity toolkit’ and a ‘racial equity lens.’ The people of Columbia voted for transparency, but have received ambiguous, potentially racist policies that threaten punishment for city employees who challenge the DEI narrative.”
