The government accused Illinois State University of implementing a voluntary affirmative action program that illegally refused to hire white men as janitors.
In a lawsuit announced Friday, the Justice Department's civil rights division alleged the university discriminated on the basis of race, national origin and sex in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.The Clinton administration is reviewing its policies on affirmative action in response to criticism from Republicans that such measures unfairly discriminate against groups like white men in trying to remedy past discrimination against women or minorities. That review had no effect on this case, said Myron Marlin, spokesman for the department's civil rights division.
University spokesman Roger Cushman called the lawsuit "very much a surprise because we thought the issue had been resolved."
A special training and hiring program for janitors, known as the Building Service Workers Learner program, was adopted "as a means to diversify the work force," Cushman said.
"We are committed as an institution to diversify our work force. Given the methods of the state of Illinois university civil service system, this is very difficult to do," Cushman said. "We exercised an option available through the system called the learners program."
"Cases involving employment discrimination against white men are rare, but no less important, than cases involving minorities and women," Assistant Attorney General Deval L. Patrick said Friday. "This administration is committed to protecting the civil rights of all Americans and this case is no exception."
In a complaint filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Springfield, Ill., the government sought a court order requiring the university to stop its alleged discriminatory practices and provide job offers and monetary relief to any identifiable victims.
No affirmative action, such as increasing recruiting or hiring goals, was sought, "because we can identify the victims," Marlin said. "We only seek affirmative action remedies when we can't identify the specific victims of the discrimination."