Case: Justice Department Investigation of Baltimore City

(This summary is temporary while we research the investigation.)

On February 4, 2026. the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched an investigation into the Baltimore City, Maryland, Health Department (BCHD) to determine whether it engages in employment practices that discriminate against, or limit, segregate, or classify, employees because of their race, color, and national origin in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. Public reporting indicated that BCHD separated employees into groups based on race for racial equity training. 

BCHD describes the “white caucus” 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.” BCHD further states that “[w]hite affinity groups allow us to examine our racial conditioning without relying on people of color for answers or subjecting them to our process.”

As of February 7, the Civil Rights Division has not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigation.