When a California teachers’ union barred white members from running for a particular executive board seat, history teacher Isaac Newman sued the union under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. His goal was to prevent the union from, as he alleged in his complaint, segregating its members and imposing a racial litmus test on those seeking the union leadership position.

The union folded within months, ending the segregated board seat, committing to not discriminating based on race in other union positions, and paying damages and attorneys’ fees.

Teacher Objects to Racial Politics in Union & School District

Isaac Newman teaches history in Elk Grove Unified School District in the suburbs of Sacramento, California. He has been a member of the local teachers’ union, the Elk Grove Education Association (EGEA), for about 10 years.

Isaac wants to focus on educating students, but he believes his union’s advocacy for DEI principles makes it harder for teachers to do their jobs. Especially when the district requires 28 hours of mandatory trainings. So, he resolved to change the union from within by joining its executive board.

EGEA Adopts Racial Litmus Test for Leadership Position

In 2023, Isaac’s union created a “BIPOC At-Large” board position, which was approved by the local union’s statewide affiliate, the California Teachers Association. To run for this board seat, a candidate must complete a nomination form and check a box confirming that the candidate “self-identifie[s]” as a member of a racial minority group.

Above: Screenshot of the checkbox on the EGEA’s board candidacy form.

Isaac filled out the nomination form but could not in good conscience check the box. He was, therefore, barred from running for the board seat simply because of the color of his skin.

Isaac Sues Union for Discrimination & Segregation

To defend his rights, Isaac filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the union violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. His lawsuit says it is unlawful for a “labor organization” to “discriminate against… any individual because of his race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.”

The complaint alleges the union’s racially segregated board seat violates state law, too. California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act prohibits “discriminat[ion] against any person because of… race… in the election of officers of the labor organization.”

Isaac’s lawsuit gained local and nationwide media attention, garnering more than 90 media placements and more than 1 million social media views.

Isaac Wins Lawsuit after EGEA Folds

Isaac’s teachers’ union, the EGEA, handed him a victory just months after the lawsuit was filed. The union ended the board seat that was only open to non-white candidates and passed a standing rule saying it would not discriminate in any union position. And a judges’ order required the union to pay Isaac $12,000 and to pay his attorneys’ fees.

“I’m delighted that my lawsuit forced union officials to admit something every high school student knows: Racial segregation is wrong. I hope this victory returns union officials’ focus to representing all teachers, rather than dividing us based on race.” — Isaac Newman

Newman v. EGEA is closed

Documents

• Complaint against Elk Grove Education Association — May 24, 2024
• News Release — May 30, 2024
• Plaintiff’s Request for Entry of Judgment – September 5, 2024
• Victory News Release – September 12, 2024

June 14, 2024: “Nearly 60 years ago, the Civil Rights Act promised an end to the segregation that had plagued America. Unfortunately, the teachers union to which I belong has resuscitated that shameful practice, and so I’m fighting it in court.”

June 2, 2024: “An Elk Grove teacher is suing his own union for discrimination, saying the union won’t let him apply for a board position because he’s White. High school history teacher Isaac Newman, thumbed through the discrimination lawsuit he filed against his own union after he tried applying for a newly created “Black, Indigenous, people of color board (BIPOC) member seat.”

May 31, 2024: “A white teacher in Sacramento County is suing his union for reserving one seat on its governing board for a non-white member — an issue of diversity versus discrimination that is percolating in courts across California.”

May 30, 2024: “Isaac Newman, a teacher in the Elk Grove School District, on Friday filed a federal lawsuit against his local National Education Association affiliate for allegedly violating his Title VII civil rights. The suit alleged that the Elk Grove Education Association formed a seat on its executive board that was only available to candidates of color, meaning Newman wasn’t eligible.”