Minneapolis policy to lay off White teachers first could go to the Supreme Court: Leo Terrell

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Leo Terrell: 'They're playing the race card out in the open'

Former teacher Leo Terrell says Minneapolis schools are using a racist policy.

Civil rights attorney Leo Terrell blasted an agreement between the Minneapolis public schools and teachers union, which exempted minority teachers from seniority-based layoffs.

"It’s illegal, it violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment," he told Fox News Digital. "You’re using race as a criteria to lay of individuals. It’s illegal. It’s unconstitutional."

An agreement between the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers union and the school district, which ended a two-week teacher strike, states that White teachers will be laid off before those from "underrepresented" populations, regardless of seniority. The agreement also stipulates that "underrepresented" teachers will be reinstated before White teachers, regardless of seniority.

Terrell also criticized Edward Barlow, a member of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers executive board, for telling the Star Tribune that the agreement could be a "national model" for finding ways to retain teachers of color. Terrell predicted it would not be long before the contract was challenged in court, potentially making it all the way to the Supreme Court.

MINNEAPOLIS TEACHERS UNION AGREEMENT STIPULATES WHITE TEACHERS BE LAID OFF FIRST, REGARDLESS OF SENIORITY

Leo Terrell (Fox News)

Terrell, who began his career as a teacher before becoming a civil rights attorney, said this agreement would create division and a "hostile work environment."

"You will create a hostile work environment where racial animas is very prevalent in schools," he said, predicting that the conflict would trickle down to parents and students in the district. "It will have a ripple effect."

LEO TERRELL GOES OFF ON SCHOOL DISTRICT'S ‘ILLEGAL AND RACIST’ POLICY OF LAYING OFF WHITE TEACHERS FIRST

Minneapolis teachers are shown on strike last spring. (Kerem Yucel/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

In a summary of the agreement, the union says that the policies will move the district "closer to safe and stable schools."

"Students need educators who look like them and who they can relate to," the document says. "This language gives us the ability to identify and address issues that contribute to disproportionately high turnover of educators of color."

Terrell called this assertion "insulting."

"I never looked at skin color [when in college or law school]," Terrell said. "I looked at whether or not an individual could teach me."

MINNEAPOLIS TEACHERS UNION AGREEMENT PROTECTING MINORITIES FROM LAYOFFS FACES OUTCRY ON TWITTER: ‘ILLEGAL’

The ACLU argued that a transgender student at the Martinsville school in Indiana should be able to use a bathroom that corresponds with his gender identity. (iStock)

Terrell questioned where either the school district or the union were getting their legal advice, and predicted that the agreement would be challenged in court shortly after going into effect this school year.

"I guarantee you the White employees will not sit on their hands. They’re lawyering up right now," he said.

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"I think this sends the wrong message to a community and a nation that believes in diversity and hard work," Terrell said. "And suddenly, hard work is being ignored."