DOJ Opens New Investigation Into The Baltimore City Health Department

BALTIMORE — The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division opened a new investigation into the Baltimore City Health Department on Feb. 4, 2026. The goal is to determine whether the Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) has participated in discriminatory practices to separate its employees for training by race, national origin, or other similar characteristics.

The trainings in question pertain to racial equity, according to the Department of Justice. The DOJ indicated that the BCHD’s racial equity training may separate employees into groups, including the “people of color caucus” and “white caucus.”

The stated purpose of racial equity training is typically to help identify and dismantle institutional and systemic racism, particularly in the workplace. However, opponents argue that training regarding race can often be divisive in its own right, especially if groups are segregated by ethnicity.

Depending on the circumstances, the Baltimore City Health Department may have violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by segregating training groups, which is why the DOJ is investigating the alleged reports.

Why Is The Baltimore City Health Department Under Investigation?

The Baltimore City Health Department is currently under an active investigation by the DOJ due to alleged reports of possible discriminatory practices in the workplace.

A letter sent to Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott sheds light on the recent investigation’s goals and basis: “Our investigation is based on publicly available information suggesting that BCHD may be engaged in certain employment practices with respect to employee training and terms and conditions of employment which discriminate against, and limit, segregate, and classify, employees because of their race, color, and national origin. Public reporting indicates that BCHD ‘separated employees by race’ to hold ‘racial equity training,’ which was divided into ‘white caucus’ and ‘people of color caucus’ meetings.”

The letter continues: “As reported, BCHD paid outside consultants $50,000 between 2022 and 2024 for an ‘Undoing Racism Workshop.’ BCHD also paid consultants to attend and provide feedback on the ‘White Caucus Group,’ which BCHD defined 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 reports, BCHD’s justification for the ‘White Caucus Group’ was that ‘[w]hite affinity groups allow us to examine our racial conditioning without relying on people of color for answers or subjecting themselves to our process.’”

Justice Department Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said the following on the reported discrimination: “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.”

If the investigation determines that wrongdoing has occurred, then the BCHD may be in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, though no conclusion has been determined as of Feb. 9, 2026.

Eric Sell was assigned to communicate with Baltimore officials on the investigation in the upcoming weeks.

Click here to read the full letter addressed to Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.

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