Members of Whittier Alliance lodge discrimination complaint against Mpls. neighborhood group

A small group of residents and business owners who say the neighborhood organization in Minneapolis' most diverse neighborhoods is actively keeping out minority members have taken their case to federal court.

The five members of the Whittier Alliance filed a complaint against that group and the city of Minneapolis on Tuesday, asking a judge to block the alliance from holding its scheduled annual board elections on Thursday, declare the results of last year's vote invalid and order the alliance to hold a new election.

Late Wednesday, U.S. District Judge John Tunheim denied the request to stop the election. But he ordered a hearing on the matter and said that if the court determines the Whittier Alliance's actions were unconstitutional, it can order a new board election.

The complaint against the Whittier Alliance and the city of Minneapolis was filed by Basim Sabri, Marty Schulenberg, Mohamed Cali, Jay Webb and Zachary Metoyer. Sabri, a developer and landlord, has previously tussled with the city in court and complained that officials have unfairly targeted him and his business tenants with fines because they are minorities.

The group argues the alliance has adjusted its bylaws specifically to keep Somali-American businesses from joining the organization or participating in its business directory. They also say the alliance has prevented them from running for its board in an effort to keep current leaders in office.

The complaint notes that nearly half the Whittier neighborhood's population is minority residents, while most of the alliance board members are white.

The same group previously took the issue to City Hall, where officials determined that the Whittier Alliance should rewrite its bylaws to make the criteria for serving on the board clearer. The alliance, with the help of the city, drafted a set of requirements that included being able to demonstrate continuing participation in the neighborhood group. It also specified that potential board members "not have committed an act of malice or defamation" against the alliance or its board.

Randall Tigue, the attorney representing the five members who filed the complaint, said that requirement was targeted at his clients.

"Obviously, that was done for no purpose other than to keep the plaintiffs in this case from running [for the board]," he said.

Marian Biehn, executive director of the Whittier Alliance, said her group and its bylaws are welcoming, not exclusive.

"From an organizational standpoint, we don't feel [the complaint] has any merit," she said. "We have a very diverse board and we are doing the work that had been identified as important to the people in the neighborhood. And we're proud of that work and it's very inclusive and responsive."

Biehn said the revised rules were intended to ensure the people on the board share the alliance's goals.

"We want to be sure we recruit people for the board who are supportive of the aims and purposes of the organization," she said.

Whittier's divide between residents and the makeup of its neighborhood leadership isn't unique in Minneapolis.

A survey released in March found that the city's 70 neighborhood organizations are predominantly led by white homeowners. While 40 percent of the city's residents are members of minority groups, only 17 percent of board members are minorities.

Erin Golden • 612-673-4790