Michigan district accused of using racial quotas to fill teaching jobs 

A Michigan school district faces a federal civil rights complaint over a union agreement that considers race in teacher placements and allows racial goals to override seniority.

Defending Education filed the complaint against Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS) last week. The organization wants the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to investigate the school district’s staffing rules.

“KPS is discriminating based on race in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance,” the group wrote.

Kalamazoo is a southwestern Michigan city of about 73,000 people with more than 12,000 students in its public schools.

The complaint targets the district’s 2025-2026 contract with the Kalamazoo Education Association teachers’ union. It says the rules violate the Civil Rights Act and the Constitution’s promise of equal protection regardless of race.

The agreement sets racial staffing targets for each school. Under one test, a school’s percentage of nonwhite teachers must be within five percentage points of the district average for that school level. A second test uses the district average to set a target number of nonwhite teachers, with a margin of two teachers. Schools must pass at least one test and have at least one nonwhite regular classroom teacher.

The district first seeks voluntary transfers to meet those goals. It then assigns new hires to open jobs when appropriate.

Race can also determine which teacher gets an opening at a school that falls short.

If multiple teachers apply for that job, the agreement gives a teacher of color priority even if another teacher has more seniority.

The more senior teacher gets transfer rights to the next opening at that school in the same grade or subject.

The agreement also seeks help recruiting minority teachers, including possible financial aid before their pay starts or help getting loans. It says its terms apply to the extent the law allows.

Kalamazoo’s website says the district doesn’t tolerate racial bias in hiring. Defending Education argues that the contract itself requires unequal treatment.

Other school districts have faced similar challenges over racial preferences in teacher jobs.

Last year, the Justice Department sued Minneapolis Public Schools over its union contract.

That case goes beyond hiring. Federal officials said Minneapolis considered race in layoffs.

“This preferential treatment is plainly discriminatory and unlawful,” the federal complaint says. “While Defendants claim that these provisions are to stop discrimination, they require Defendants to blatantly discriminate against teachers based on their race, color, sex, and national origin.”

The feds also say the school gave members of the Black Men Teach Fellows job benefits they didn’t give non-Black and female teachers.

“Discrimination is unacceptable in all forms, especially when it comes to hiring decisions,” then-Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a release.

Similarly, Bellingham, Washington’s plan to retain teachers of color included working with labor leaders to keep those teachers on staff.

Meanwhile, Framingham, Massachusetts, has doled out stipends to several nonwhite public school administrators.

In Kalamazoo, Defending Education wants federal officials to investigate the complaint and end any illegal practices.

(Image credit: Dr. Darrin Slade, superintendent/Screenshot/Kalamazoo Public Schools)