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WHAT IS IOWAGOVRACECLASSACTION.COM?

This website is designed to provide information about the employment discrimination lawsuit against the State of Iowa and its executive branch agencies brought by and on behalf of African-Americans.

WHO IS SUING THE STATE OF IOWA?

To date, more than a dozen African-American current or former employees from different departments and different level positions (the plaintiffs) are suing the State and all of the departments (the defendants) that use the State's central hiring and promotion system. A copy of the Amended Petition (the lawsuit) setting forth the claims and allegations is available on the "Documents and Pleadings" page.

On November 12, 2008, nine additional plaintiffs sought permission to join the lawsuit. A copy of the motion and proposed Second Amended Petition also is available on the "Documents and Pleadings" page.

WHAT IS THE LAWSUIT ABOUT?

The lawsuit alleges the State’s employment policies and practices – including its hiring and promotion practices – operate to deny African-Americans equal employment opportunities (intentionally or unintentionally), in part because of racial bias. As examples, the lawsuit alleges that the State refuses to hire or promote qualified African-Americans, and/or denies African-Americans equal opportunities to interview for or to be hired or promoted to higher paying positions. The lawsuit also alleges failure of the system designed to remedy past and present race discrimination, and ensure equal employment opportunities.

The State denies these allegations. A copy of the State's Answer to the First Amended Petition is available on the "Documents and Pleadings" page.

The State hired CPS Human Resources Services to audit its hiring and promotion practices. A copy of the project report entitled "Review of State Hiring Practices" prepared by CPS Human Resources Services on April 30, 2007 ("the CPS Report") is available on the "Documents and Pleadings" page.

WHY IS THE CASE FILED AS A CLASS ACTION?

The plaintiffs seek change and justice--not not just for themselves--but for all African-Amercians like them. They think that a class action lawsuit is the best way to achieve those goals.

To date, the plaintiffs have not asked the Court for the right to pursue claims on behalf of other African-Americans (a class action) and likewise the Court has not given them that right. At some point, however, the plaintiffs will ask the Court for the right to seek relief on behalf of other African-Americans.

Presently, plaintiffs anticipate asking the Court for the right to represent all current, former or potential employees of the State of Iowa who are African-American and who have applied for employment and/or promotion dating back many years. But exactly which African-Americans the plaintiffs will be able to represent (if any) will be decided by the Court.

WHAT DO THE PLAINTIFFS WANT?

Through the lawsuit, the plaintiffs hope to:

Help the State improve its policies and practices
Prevent harm to other African-Americans, either current employees, former employees, or those who try to work for the State in the future
Prompt the State to adopt the remedies proposed in their Amended Petition, as well as any additional remedies recommended by the NAACP (a copy of the NAACP's recommendations is available on the "Documents and Pleadings" page).

Plaintiffs also are seeking compensation for African-Americans who were denied equal employment opportunities.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

If you have information relating to the case and you are not a current or former employee of the State in a position at the level of Bureau Chief or above, the attorneys for plaintiffs would like to speak with you about what you know. Please contact one of the plaintiffs' attorneys listed on the "Contact Us" page.

If you have information relating to the case and you are a current or former employee of the State in a position at the level of Bureau Chief or above, the Attorney General's office may represent you. Before contacting any of the attorneys for the plaintiffs, please contact the Attoney General's office to find out if the Attorney General's office represents you.

If you are a current, former or potential employee of the State of Iowa who is African-American and who applied for and were denied employment and/or promotion by the State within the last 300 days or suffered other discrimination or retaliation, you should consult with an attorney or the Iowa Civil Rights Commission about filing a complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. If your goals are the same as the plaintiffs in the class action, the attorneys for the plaintiffs may be willing to represent you.

If you are a current, former or potential employee of the State of Iowa who is African-American and who applied for and were denied employment and/or promotion or suffered other discrimination or retaliation more than 300 days ago, you should consult with an attorney regarding how this lawsuit may affect you.

If you are a citizen of the State of Iowa concerned about the fact that your government may not be treating African-Americans fairly, you should contact the Office of the Governor, your State Senator or Representative, the Governor's representative to the Diversity Council, or another member of the Diversity Council appointed by the Governor. Information about the Diversity Council is available on DAS-Human Resources's website (http://das.hre.iowa.gov/hre_diversity_council.html).

If you are a member of the press or a concerned citizen seeking additional information about the lawsuit, please contact one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs.

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