City of Kansas City, Missouri, faces DOJ civil rights investigation

The city of Kansas City, Missouri, is facing a civil rights investigation from the Department of Justice over allegations some of its practices don’t comply with federal law.

THE DEPARTMENT OFJUSTICE IS INVESTIGATINGKANSAS CITY'SCONTRACTING ANDPROCUREMENTPRACTICES.THE INVESTIGATIONSUGGESTS RACE ANDGENDER PLAYED A ROLEWHEN DETERMINING WHOGETS HIRED FOR CITY-RELATED WORK.41 I-TEAM REPORTERJESSICA MCMASTEREXPLAINS.ACCORDING TO THE DOJ,IT LAUNCHED THEINVESTIGATION TODETERMINE IF KANSASCITY HAS VIOLATED ANTI-DISCRIMINATIONPROTECTIONS WHEN ITCOMES TO ISSUINGCONTRACTS-A DOJSPOKESPERSON TELLS METHE AIRPORTRENNOVATION IS WHATPROMPTED THEINVESTIGATION.

WHILE NOONE COMPLAINEDDIRECTLY, THE DOJ SAYSPEOPLE FROM KANSASCITY EXPRESSEDCONCERNS THAT NON-MINORITYSUBCONTRACTORS WHOWERE LOW BIDDERS ONTHE PROJECTS WEREDISCRIMINATED AGAINST.BUT, THE INVESTIGATIONEXPANDS BEYOND THISONE PROJECT.

THE DOJSAYS KANSAS CITY HASFOR YEARS USED QUOTABASED SET ASIDES INNEARLY 30 PERCENT OFALL PUBLIC CONTRACTDOLLARS TO FAVORPEOPLE BASED ON RACEAND SEX.

MEANING, THISMONEY WOULD ONLY BEREWARDED TO CERTAINGROUPS.THE DOJ SUGGESTS THISCOULD BE A VIOLATION OFTITLE VI, WHICH PROHIBITSRACE DISCRIMINATION BYENTITIES RECEIVINGFEDERAL FUNDS.MAYOR QUINTON LUCASRESPONDED TO THEINVESTIGATION BY SAYING,There have been numerousinvestigations of affirmativeaction-related policies UNDERTHE TRUMPADMINISTRATION.LUCAS SAYS QUOTE "Let usbe clear: these are unfairclaims of non-allegiance by anadministration in its finalhoursto diminish extensive andwell-researched disparity andequity studies conducted bythe city,"IT'S A POINT THE DOJ EVENACKNOWLEDGES IN ITSSTATEMENT BY SAYINGQUOTE "Classifications basedon race carry a danger ofstigmatic harm.

Unless theyare strictly reserved forremedial settings, they may infact promote notions of racialinferiority and lead to apoliticsof racial hostility.LUCAS SAYS THE CITY WILLCONTINUE TO remedy thehistoric and ongoing impact ofdiscrimination against smallbusinesses owned byminorities and women..

I'M JESSICA MCMASTER 41ACTION N