The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a federal court action Friday to enforce subpoenas against Gallup-McKinley County Schools, alleging the New Mexico district has refused to cooperate with an investigation into claims of discriminatory hiring practices against Native Americans.
The EEOC said it issued two administrative subpoenas seeking testimony from high-level school administrators as part of its probe into allegations that the district engaged in intentional discrimination against Native American job applicants and employees in hiring, promotion and other employment practices.
The district initially agreed to interviews with the administrators but canceled them the day before they were scheduled and refused further cooperation, according to the EEOC. The administrators then failed to appear for depositions despite the subpoenas.
“Allegations of intentional exclusion of Native Americans from certain jobs at Gallup-McKinley County Schools require a prompt and thorough investigation by the EEOC,” Acting Chair Andrea Lucas said in a statement. “When employers refuse to comply voluntarily with an EEOC investigation or otherwise hinder an investigation’s progress, the EEOC will not hesitate to pursue all available remedies.”
The investigation stems from a Commissioner’s Charge of discrimination filed in August 2024 against the district, which serves students in Gallup and other areas of McKinley County. The charge alleges the district engaged in a pattern of intentional discrimination against Native Americans in interviewing, hiring, promoting and classifying employees for positions including classroom teacher, administrator and principal.
Such conduct could violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the EEOC said.
The enforcement action, EEOC v. Gallup-McKinley County Schools, was filed in U.S. District Court for New Mexico after attempts to obtain voluntary compliance failed.
