Columbia City Council approves resolution shielding staff amid federal DEI scrutiny
Mitchell Kaminski
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Columbia City Council unanimously passed a resolution on Monday that would affirm the city’s compliance with federal nondiscrimination laws tied to grant funding and pledging legal protection for city officials who file related documents.
The resolution comes after threats from the federal government about the city’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The resolution commits to defending and compensating officials from lawsuits or claims, such as the False Claims Act, stemming from their official duties, as long as they act within the scope of their role.
Despite the city council passing that resolution unanimously, there were some concerns raised by residents who felt that the resolution was an acknowledgment that the city may have been breaking federal rules. Ward 1 councilwoman Valerie Carroll also questioned some of the language, saying that the wording of parts of the resolution was drawing unnecessary attention to the city.
However, the city views this as not only a protection for city staff when applying for grants but also for people in the community who rely on that funding.
The City of Columbia has received several grants from the federal government, which asked the city to file certificates stating that it is complying with all federal regulations and executive orders relating to non-discrimination and equal employment opportunities.
Columbia may potentially be in violation of the federal antidiscrimination laws.
On April 24, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation sent a letter to all recipients of Department of Transportation funding — including Columbia — warning that any policy, program or activity involving “discriminatory policies or practices designed to achieve so-called ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion,’ or ‘DEI,’ goals presumptively violates federal law.”
The letter goes on to say:
“Recipients of DOT financial assistance must ensure that the personnel practices (including hiring, promotions, and terminations) within their organizations are merit-based and do not discriminate based on prohibited categories. Recipients are also precluded from allocating money received under DOT awards-such as through contracts or the provision of other benefits based on suspect classifications. Any discriminatory actions in your policies, programs, and activities based on prohibited categories constitute a clear violation of Federal law and the terms of your grant agreements.”
US DOT – Letter to Grant RecipientsDownload
In light of possible enforcement actions against both grant recipients and officials responsible for filing certifications, the city is seeking to shield those employees. The resolution states Columbia will defend and indemnify city officials from legal claims stemming from their official duties related to federal grant compliance.
The city earlier this month tabled an item that would have removed DEI language following pushback from community members.
The city wrote in its council memo for the May 5 meeting that the proposed changes to its vision, mission, core values, priority areas and goal statements in its strategic plan are to comply with an executive order from President Donald Trump on Jan. 21 that targets the language used.