Department of Justice Sides With Natives, Files Lawsuit Against SD for Discrimination

On Tuesday, November 3, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against South Dakota’s Department of Social Services (DSS), alleging racial discrimination against Native American job applicants. Prompted by the complaint of a Native American man, Cedric Goodman, this lawsuit shines light on the lingering phenomena of institutional racism in the state of South Dakota.

According to the lawsuit, State of South Dakota’s DSS Pine Ridge Reservation Office repeatedly discriminated against Native American job applicants because of their race, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In addition to passing over numerous applications of Native Americans, the lawsuit alleges that the DSS Pine Ridge Office closed several positions, reopened them, and ultimately hired non-Natives with lesser qualifications to work in the Pine Ridge Office.

Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/11/13/department-justice-sides-natives-files-lawsuit-against-sd-discrimination-162423