On September 29, 2004, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the City of Gallup, New Mexico in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico. The D.O.J. alleged that the city engaged in a pattern or practice of intentional employment discrimination against American Indians in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The complaint specifically alleged that the City of Gallup, including the City's Police, Fire, Solid Waste, and Utilities Department excluded qualified American Indians from the City’s workforce by: (1) failing or refusing to recruit and hire American Indians on the same basis as whites and Hispanics; and (2) failing or refusing to take appropriate action to correct the present effects of the discriminatory policies and practices. The D.O.J. asked the court for injunctive and monetary relief.

On October 27, 2004, the district court entered a consent decree ordering that: (1) American Indians were not to be subjected to discrimination on the basis of race in recruitment or hiring for City employment in violation of Title VII; (2) the City adopt and maintains policies and procedures that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race in discrimination in employment, including recruitment and hiring; (3) individuals who complain of race discrimination in employment were not to be retaliated against because of such complaints; and (4) the City provide monetary relief and/or priority hiring with retroactive seniority to claimants who from January 1, 1997 to the date of entry of the Decree, were denied employment with the City due to the claimant's race.

In August 2009, Gallup's motion to dismiss and terminate the consent decree was granted, concluding the case.

Hyun Jeong Yang - 10/16/2007
Sara Denbo - 02/22/2019


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