By Katherine Tinsley
9:37am PST, Feb 4, 2025
The Obama Presidential Library is in hot water after a Chicago, Ill., subcontractor accused a firm, who is managing the historic project, of racial discrimination.
Robert McGee, who is the owner of concrete services company II in One, sued structural engineering company Thornton Tomasetti in January.
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Robert McGee, who is the owner of concrete services company II in One, sued structural engineering company Thornton Tomasetti in January.
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According to McGee, Thornton Tomasetti changed rules and standards for rebar spacing, but they differed from the American Concrete Institute.
The change in expectations led to "excessively rigorous and unnecessary inspection."
The change in expectations led to "excessively rigorous and unnecessary inspection."
Due to the additional paperwork and interruptions, McGee's business is experiencing significant financial strain.
"In a shocking and disheartening turn of events, the African American owner of a local construction company finds himself and his company on the brink of forced closure because of racial discrimination by the structural engineer," the lawsuit reads.
"In a shocking and disheartening turn of events, the African American owner of a local construction company finds himself and his company on the brink of forced closure because of racial discrimination by the structural engineer," the lawsuit reads.
The former president has been transparent about his hope of expanding opportunities to minorities, but McGee hinted at Thornton Tomasetti's values not being aligned with Barack Obama's.
"II in One and its joint venture partners… was subjected to baseless criticisms and defamatory and discriminatory accusations by the Obama Foundation's structural engineer, Thornton Tomasetti," the legal document states.
McGee defended his professionalism in his complaint after the organization branded the subcontractor as "questionably qualified."
"Thornton Tomasetti's defamatory and discriminatory statements came as a shock to II in One and its Owner, Robert J. McGee, Jr., who remains proud of his company's work on a Project intended to honor the legacy of the United States' first African American President," McGee's legal rep shared.
"Thornton Tomasetti's defamatory and discriminatory statements came as a shock to II in One and its Owner, Robert J. McGee, Jr., who remains proud of his company's work on a Project intended to honor the legacy of the United States' first African American President," McGee's legal rep shared.
During his presidency, Obama advocated for BIPOC communities, and he continues to advocate for expanding resources throughout the nation.
"What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on earth," he said in 2012.
"The belief that our destiny is shared; that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations," he continued. "The freedom which so many Americans have fought for and died for come with responsibilities as well as rights. And among those are love and charity and duty and patriotism. That's what makes America great."
"What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on earth," he said in 2012.
"The belief that our destiny is shared; that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations," he continued. "The freedom which so many Americans have fought for and died for come with responsibilities as well as rights. And among those are love and charity and duty and patriotism. That's what makes America great."
Despite the progress his administration made, Donald Trump recently blamed his DEI programs for the plane crash that occurred in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, January 29.
"I changed the Obama policy, and we had a very good policy," Trump said in a press conference, while implying minorities were held to a lower standard than their White male counterparts. "And then Biden came in and he changed it. And then when I came in two days, three days ago, I signed a new order, bringing it to the highest level of intelligence."
"I changed the Obama policy, and we had a very good policy," Trump said in a press conference, while implying minorities were held to a lower standard than their White male counterparts. "And then Biden came in and he changed it. And then when I came in two days, three days ago, I signed a new order, bringing it to the highest level of intelligence."