When the U.S. Department of Justice announced its investigation into Chicago’s alleged race-based hiring practices, which it says violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Mayor Brandon Johnson said he is proud to have the most diverse administration in the city’s history.
Not backing down from the DOJ investigation, on Wednesday, May 21, Johnson called for the DOJ to instead launch an investigation into the Trump administration, which he said lacks diversity, equity and inclusion components.
In a statement sent to the Chicago Crusader on Monday, May 19, Mayor Johnson said, “Our administration reflects the diversity and values of Chicago. Unfortunately, the current federal administration does not reflect either.”
Johnson made his remarks after reports that Harmeet K. Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, reportedly sent a letter to Mayor Johnson announcing its investigation based on the mayor’s hiring practices.
“We are aware of the letter issued by the Department of Justice but are awaiting the official receipt of the letter. Our Corporation Counsel will review it at that time,” Johnson said in his statement. The DOJ’s letter was dated Monday, May 19.
During his visit to the Apostolic Church of God on Sunday, May 18, Johnson boasted about his administration hiring a number of African Americans in key Cabinet positions.
“Two administrations ago, 70 to 75 percent of the administration was primarily made up of white men. In my administration, 45 percent of my administration is Black, 25 percent is Latin, 30 percent is white, and 8 percent is Asian,” Johnson stated. “It is the most diverse administration in the history of Chicago.”
The Mayor’s Office later clarified that those percentages referred to his 105-member staff. According to CBS News, the racial composition is: 34% Black, 30% white, 23% Hispanic, 7% Asian, and 5% of two or more ethnicities.
But it was Johnson’s highlighting of the number of Blacks in key positions he has appointed so far that prompted the DOJ’s investigation.
“Having people in my administration that will look out for the interest of everyone—and everyone means you have to look out for the interest of Black folks, because that hasn’t happened,” he said, listing the titles and ethnicities of his Cabinet members.
“The deputy mayor is a Black woman. The 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. The senior advisor is a Black man,” Johnson had stated.
Explaining the reason for being so descriptive in his hiring practices, Johnson said, “I’m laying that out because when you ask how we ensure that our people get a chance to grow their businesses,” referring to how his appointments align with his equity goals.
Mayor Johnson said his administration is focusing on pursuing the interests of Black people because it “hasn’t happened.”
Dhillon pointed to the mayor’s quotes, saying, “If these kinds 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 outlined his diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring numbers.
Reacting to the DOJ investigation, Alderman David Moore (18th) said, “That is what you call noise, and I don’t get caught up in the noise. That will take care of itself. This administration is doing a lot of things. We have to focus on the real things that they are moving on,” warned Moore. “We will be OK.”
Referring to DOJ officials, Father Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina Catholic Church, told the Chicago Crusader, “They are simply clowns carrying out the whitewashing of America by a white supremacist administration.”
Being investigated by the Trump administration is not new to Mayor Johnson. On April 29, the U.S. Department of Education announced it is investigating the Chicago Public Schools’ program, the Black Student Success Plan.
First announced in February during Black History Month, school officials said the program is aimed at improving student academic success and recruiting and retaining Black educators and leaders. School officials are not commenting on the lawsuit.
This complaint was launched based on a February 2025 filing by the group Parents Defending Education, now known as Defending Education, which claims the program violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
When the new spring program was introduced, Bogdana Chkoumbova, CPS’s Chief Education Officer, said, “The District is committed to removing these obstacles and calls upon the community to support efforts to better serve Black students.”
In its complaint against CPS, Defending Education alleges that “members oppose discrimination on the basis of race and political indoctrination in America’s schools.” They labeled CPS’ plan for Black success “racially exclusive.”
While CPS refuses to comment on the lawsuit, Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates blasted Trump and Education Secretary Linda E. McMahon for their alleged efforts to thwart progress for Black students.
In a statement, Gates said, “Rather than using the Department to create opportunities for students, Trump and McMahon appear determined to transform it into a debt collection agency and a vehicle to dismantle the civil rights protections that support students and their families.”