Racial Allegations in Former President Barack Obama's Library Construction – $40.75 Million Lawsuit

Racial Allegations in Former President Barack Obama's Library Construction – $40.75 Million Lawsuit

The construction of former President Barack Obama’s long-awaited library and museum, which began in Chicago with ambitious goals for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), is now plagued by massive cost overruns, delays, and a $40.75 million lawsuit involving racial discrimination.

The project initially announced that it would set significant DEI goals, with 35% of contracts allocated to minority-owned businesses. However, the project is currently facing enormous cost increases and delays.

Last month, Robert McGee, the owner of II in One Construction, a minority-owned construction company involved in the project, filed a lawsuit claiming racial discrimination. In the lawsuit, McGee alleges that his firm was discriminated against and that $40.75 million in additional costs were not paid.

The lawsuit states that Thornton Tomasetti, a New York-based company providing structural engineering and design services for the project, accused II in One Construction of being inconsistent and unqualified. The lawsuit claims that the company raised questions about the quality of their work and made discriminatory remarks, putting the company’s financial stability in jeopardy.

Additionally, McGee's lawsuit accuses Thornton Tomasetti of undermining the project’s DEI goals, which were included in the project’s general contract. According to the lawsuit, their firm should have been provided with the services promised under the contract, but the company’s rights were disregarded.

The Obama Foundation has stated that it is not a party to this lawsuit and emphasized that it will not cause any delays in the concrete work.

The project was initially expected to begin in 2018, but construction was delayed and began in 2021. It is expected to open by 2026. However, the project has faced criticism from environmentalists, particularly for the removal of many trees and destruction of bird habitats.