The Library of Congress (LOC) has closed its doors to a foundation that was created by current and former employees to assist LOC employees in pursing complaints of racial discrimination.
The issue is interesting because it raises concerns about the right to free speech under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which would appear to be central to the Library’s mission.
A panel of three judges for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit recently upheld a lower court’s dismissal of a lawsuit filed against the LOC by The Cook and Shaw Foundation, a non-profit group formed by present and past employees to assist LOC employees in filing race discrimination lawsuits.
The Library has a policy in which it recognizes certain employee organizations and gives them meeting space, the right to post materials on bulletin boards, etc. The Foundation’s request for recognition was denied because “the Foundation’s purpose of helping employees bring and maintain lawsuits against the Library is inconsistent with the Library’s policy that recognized employee organizations be ‘concerned only with welfare, financial assistance, recreational, cultural, or professional activities.’”
The Foundation filed a lawsuit alleging the LOC violated the retaliation clause of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This clause makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against any employees (or applicants for employment) because they have opposed any practice made an unlawful by the law or because they have made a charge, testified, assisted, or participated in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing.
There is a certain logic to the Foundation’s view that helping employees file race discrimination lawsuits relates to their welfare and professional activities. However, the appeals court ruled that Title VII covers only employees and job applicants and not foundations. The appellate panel said the Foundation failed to identify any particular library employee who was subjected to retaliation in violation of Title VII.
“Perhaps such allegations could have formed the makings of a First Amendment claim by the Foundation. But plaintiffs advanced a Title VII claim,” the panel concludes.
The case is Howard R.l. Cook & Tommy Shaw, et al v. James Billington, #12-5193.
