Anti-DEI teacher sues California union over 'BIPOC' board position: 'Discrimination'

Publish date: 2024-07-07

ELK GROVE, Calif. (CITC) — A California teacher is suing his teachers union after it allegedly denied his candidacy for a position on its executive board due to him being White.

History teacher Isaac Newman attempted to run for a board position for the Elk Grove Education Association (EGEA) after becoming “fed up” with his school district’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, his attorney told Crisis in the Classroom (CITC). Newman, a decade-long member of the union, allegedly could not advance his candidacy past the nomination form due to his race.

EGEA in 2023 created a “BIPOC At-Large” board position reserved only for individuals who self-identify as a member of a racial minority group, according to the lawsuit. When filing paperwork to run for the opening, Newman “could not in good conscience check the box,” his lawyer said. That allegedly made him ineligible to run for the position.

The lawsuit aimed at EGEA now claims Newman was a victim of racial discrimination.

“EGEA deprived Newman of a specific opportunity to run for an Executive Board seat based on the color of his skin,” the suit reads. “Furthermore, the existence of the BIPOC position constitutes ongoing unlawful discrimination because it permanently damages Newman’s future prospects of attaining a union leadership role.”

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Newman told CITC Thursday the requirement is blatant discrimination and must be stopped.

After nearly 10 years of membership, my union has barred me from running for a leadership position simply because of the color of my skin,” Newman said. “You don’t have to be a history teacher to recognize that this is a textbook example of discrimination and a blatant violation of the Civil Rights Act. I hope my lawsuit will force the union to see reason and remove all racial barriers to running for elected office.”

Several members of EGEA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CITC Thursday.

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