America First Legal Files Federal Civil Rights Complaint Against the City of Seattle for Illegal Government-Wide Race-Based Discrimination

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, America First Legal (AFL) filed a federal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, requesting an investigation into the City of Seattle for systemic violations of federal law through its unlawful “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) mandates.

Seattle’s Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI) has openly declared that it “leads with race” because “dismantling racism will create a more equitable world for everyone.” RSJI has enmeshed a citywide regime of race-based policies into its everyday governance, from hiring and promotion to budget decisions and public services.

RSJI’s DEI regime is not rhetorical. The Initiative sets forth four goals:

• Goal #1: “Embed racial equity into City of Seattle policies and processes.”

• Goal #2: “Center racial justice, belonging, and wellbeing.”

• Goal #3: “Align with community organizing” and “dismantle Seattle’s history of racism by following the lead of grassroots community members who are organizing for transformational change today.”

• Goal #4: “Collaborate with regional and national racial justice leaders.”

In practice, RSJI has mandated race-based hiring quotas and pay policies, required 50 percent Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) representation on city hiring panels, created a “White Accountability and Action Group,” and even diverted voter-approved transportation funds into race-based programs. 

AFL’s complaint makes clear that these goals violate Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, defy federal executive orders prohibiting racial preferences in government, and risk the livelihoods of Seattleites who do not align with RSJI’s ideological agenda. Federal dollars cannot be used to subsidize a city government that prioritizes its social equity score over the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens. The Department of Justice must investigate and take enforcement action against Seattle until it fully ends its discriminatory practices.

“Seattle preaches equity while practicing discrimination,” said Emily Percival, Attorney for America First Legal. “The City’s racial justice initiative violates the very civil rights laws it claims to champion. Equality before the law is not optional.”

Read the full complaint here.

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