DOJ opens civil rights investigation into Chicago hiring practices

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Summary

DOJ launches probe

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a civil rights investigation into the City of Chicago's hiring practices following Mayor Brandon Johnson’s public remarks emphasizing racial diversity in his administration.

Title VII

The DOJ cites potential violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, suggesting hiring decisions may have been made based on race.

Johnson's defense

Johnson defended his approach, calling his administration the most diverse in the city’s history and criticizing the probe as politically motivated.

Full story

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.

Jake Larsen (Video Editor) contributed to this report.

Tags: Brandon Johnson, Chicago, U.S. Department of Justice

[LAUREN KEENAN]

THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION ANNOUNCED IT has opened AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CITY OF CHICAGO AND ITS HIRING PRACTICES.

THE PROBE COMES AFTER CHICAGO MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON MADE REMARKS AT A CHURCH ON SUNDAY THAT WENT VIRAL.

[DR. BYRON BRAZIER]

“IN YOUR ADMINISTRATION, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO ENSURE THERE ARE MULTIPLES ACROSS THE INDUSTRIES, THERE ARE MULTIPLE ADVANTAGES THAT ARE NOT LIMITED TO 2-3% OF A BILLION DOLLAR SPEND FOR THE CITY?”

[MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON]

“THAT’S RIGHT, THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION AND IT GOES BACK TO WHAT REVEREND JACKSON WOULD ALWAYS SHARE WITH ME. OUR PEOPLE HIRE OUR PEOPLE. AND SO, ONE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH WE’RE ENSURING, LET ME BACK UP FOR A SECOND. SO WHEN WE SAY OUR PEOPLE HIRE OUR PEOPLE, I JUST WANT TO NAME THIS. TWO ADMINISTRATIONS AGO, 70-75% 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. AND HERE’S WHY I’M NAMING THIS. IT’S BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME DETRACTORS THAT WILL PUSH BACK ON ME AND SAY ‘THE ONLY THING THE MAYOR TALKS ABOUT IS THE HIRING OF BLACK PEOPLE.’ NO, WHAT I’M SAYING IS WHEN YOU HIRE OUR PEOPLE, WE ALWAYS LOOK OUT FOR EVERYBODY ELSE. WE ARE THE MOST GENEROUS PEOPLE ON THE PLANET. (CLAPS). I DON’T KNOW TOO MANY CULTURES THAT HAVE PLAY COUSINS. THAT’S HOW GENEROUS WE ARE. WE JUST MAKE SOMEBODY A FAMILY MEMBER, RIGHT? IT’S JUST HOW WE ARE. 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.>

IN A LETTER TO MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON, THE DOJ CITES TITLE VII (7) 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. 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,” HARMEET DHILLON, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION WRITES THE LETTER TO MAYOR JOHNSON.

ADDING, “IF THESE KIND OF HIRING DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE FOR TOP-LEVEL POSITIONS IN YOUR ADMINISTRATION, THEN IT BEGS THE QUESTION WHETHER SUCH DECISIONS ARE ALSO BEING MADE FOR LOWER-LEVEL POSITIONS.”

MAYOR JOHNSON RESPONDED TO THE PROBE TUESDAY MORNING.

[CHICAGO MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON]

“WELL I’M NOT SURPRISED, RIGHT? THIS ADMINISTRATION OBVIOUSLY HAS DEMONSTRATED A GREAT DEAL OF ANIMUS AND DISTAIN 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 ADMINISTRATION IN THE HISTORY OF CHICAGO.”

[LAUREN KEENAN]

ACCORDING TO THE CITY OF CHICAGO’S DEMOGRAPHICS, 38% OF CHICAGO CITY EMPLOYEES ARE WHITE; NEARLY 30% ARE BLACK; 27% ARE HISPANIC OR LATINO; 3% ARE ASIAN; AND THE OTHER 2% ARE MADE UP OF NATIVE HAWAIIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDERS, ALASKA NATIVES OR TWO OR MORE RACES.

FOR SAN, I’M LK.

Why this story matters

A federal investigation into the City of Chicago's hiring practices highlights ongoing national debates over diversity, equity and compliance with anti-discrimination laws.

Civil rights compliance

The Department of Justice's investigation into whether Chicago's hiring practices violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act underscores the ongoing enforcement of federal anti-discrimination statutes.

Diversity in government

Mayor Brandon Johnson's emphasis on the diverse makeup of his administration raises questions about how cities pursue representation and inclusivity within their workforce.

Public accountability

The scrutiny of hiring practices in a major city demonstrates the need for transparency and accountability in public sector employment decisions.

Get the big picture

Synthesized coverage insights across 61 media outlets

Community reaction

Community responses are mixed, with some local officials and residents expressing concern that the investigation reinforces claims of exclusion or bias under the Johnson administration. Others, particularly supporters of the mayor, describe the probe as politically motivated or an overreach, defending the administration’s commitment to reflecting Chicago’s diversity and values in its hiring practices.

Diverging views

Left-leaning articles often characterize the investigation as politically motivated by the Trump administration and highlight concerns about the rollback of DEI efforts. In contrast, right-leaning sources frame Johnson’s comments and hiring focus as explicit violations of federal law, often using more critical language and raising broader concerns about race-based policies. This reflects differing interpretations of both intention and legality.

History lesson

Consent decrees and civil rights pattern or practice investigations have a long history in U.S. governance, usually focused on discrimination against minorities. However, current trends show increased federal scrutiny of governors and mayors for perceived race-based or DEI-oriented policies, reflecting shifts in legal and political priorities, especially under the Trump administration.