PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The United States Department of Justice has sent a letter to Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha notifying him that the state is under investigation for alleged race-based (or any other) discrimination in violation of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The letter states, in part:

Our investigation is based on information that Rhode Island may be engaged in employment practices regarding its affirmative action program governing state government employment under state law that discriminate based on race, national origin, or other protected characteristics in violation of Title VII.

Accordingly, the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division has authorized a full investigation to determine whether Rhode Island is engaged in a pattern or

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