BALTIMORE — An investigation has been launched into the Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) by the United States Department of Justice following allegations that discriminatory practices were used while training employees.
According to the DOJ, public reporting indicated that the health department allegedly segregates its employees into groups based on race, color, and national origin for "racial equity training," which violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Two of the groups are labeled the "white caucus" and the "people of color caucus," according to the DOJ.
The white caucus is described as "a group of white people who meet for the purpose of building analysis, awareness, stamina, and strategy to challenge systemic racism and internalized white supremacy," according to Justice Department officials.
The BCHD also allegedly paid outside consultants between 2022 and 2024 for an "Undoing Racism Workshop" and to provide feedback on the white caucus group, according to a notice letter.
"Separating employees into training groups based on their race is discriminatory, illegal, and un-American. Such practices are divisive and foster a racially hostile work environment," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "Racial segregation of employees is deeply offensive to the American guarantee of equal rights under the law, and it will not be tolerated."
WMAR-2 News reached out to the BCHD for comment and is waiting to hear back.
In August 2025, an investigation was launched into Baltimore City Public Schools following allegations of antisemitism within the school system.
The Anti-Defamation League filed a complaint a month prior making the allegations, claiming there was evidence of an active City Schools teacher threatening to "go all Nazi" on students in his class.
That same instructor had allegedly "directed Nazi salutes towards a Jewish student" on the school playground, according to the ADL.
Pertaining to the DOJ's current investigation into the BCHD, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Eric Sell said he intends to contact city leaders to "discuss the parameters" of the investigation.
