Opinion ID: 43762
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Tillman Committee and Report

Text: In 1989, the DeKalb County School Board (“the Board”) appointed the 1 Only the District itself and Hallford remain as defendants. 2 Tillman Committee (“the Committee”) to study female and minority business involvement with the DeKalb County School District (“the District”). After several meetings with various District departments and a number of minority contractors who had unsuccessfully attempted to solicit District business, the Committee issued a report (“the Tillman Report”) stating the Committee’s impression that “[m]inorities ha[d] not participated in school board purchases and contracting in a ratio reflecting the minority make up of the community.” The Tillman Report was based only on the Committee’s “general feeling” that minorities were underrepresented; there was no specific evidence of past discrimination, nor did the Committee make any factual findings regarding such discrimination. Nevertheless, in order to ensure that minorities had an equal opportunity to compete going forward, the Tillman Report recommended that the District (1) advertise bids and purchasing opportunities in newspapers targeting minorities, (2) conduct periodic seminars to educate minorities on doing business with the District, (3) notify organizations representing minority firms regarding bidding and purchasing opportunities, and (4) publish a “how to” booklet to be made available to any business interested in doing business with the District. The Tillman Report also recommended that the District adopt annual participation “goals” for minority involvement. The recommended goals for 3 contracts, purchases, and services were 15% for “Black Businesses,” 5% for “Female Businesses,” and 5% for “Other Minorities.” The Tillman Report included several statements to the effect that the actual selection process was to remain race neutral. It also emphasized that the “goals” were aspirational rather than mandatory, and should not be taken as a call for preferential treatment. Finally, it recommended that the Board adopt a non-discrimination statement.