The U.S. Justice Department has joined a discrimination lawsuit against the Missouri State High School Activities Association, filed by Merlyn Johnson, who alleges he was disqualified from a board member seat due to his race and gender. The lawsuit claims the organization violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by discriminating against Johnson. The DOJ argues that the association, as a state entity, lacks a compelling interest in maintaining a diverse board of directors. The Missouri Attorney General’s Office also filed a lawsuit over the organization’s diversity policy, with Assistant U.S. Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon calling racial and sexual quotas illegal and harmful.
