Obama Center Subcontractor Files $40 Million Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Against Managing Firm
A Black-owned subcontractor has filed a $40 million lawsuit against Thornton Tomasetti, the managing firm overseeing construction of the Obama Presidential Center, alleging systemic racial discrimination and unfair treatment that placed the company on the brink of financial collapse.
The firm, II in One, contends that Thornton Tomasetti subjected it to unusually strict standards, excessive oversight, and heightened inspections not imposed on other, non-minority contractors working on the same project. According to the complaint, these actions led to major cost overruns, repeated delays, and mounting financial strain that now threaten the company’s survival.
Thornton Tomasetti has categorically denied the allegations, asserting that II in One was “questionably qualified” for the scope of work it was assigned and that its own errors and mismanagement were responsible for both cost increases and schedule disruptions. The managing firm also reportedly provided the Obama Foundation with internal memos and photographs highlighting what it described as defects and quality issues tied to the subcontractor’s work.
In contrast, II in One maintains that the evidence was selectively presented and that non-minority firms guilty of similar or worse performance issues were not subjected to the same level of scrutiny or disciplinary measures. The lawsuit characterizes this as a clear case of racial bias in contracting practices within one of the nation’s most high-profile construction projects.
The Obama Presidential Center, located on Chicago’s South Side, has already faced multiple challenges, including construction delays, budget overruns, and growing community backlash over fears that the project could accelerate gentrification and rising housing costs for local residents.
While the case remains in its early stages, it underscores the racial and economic tensions that continue to surround large-scale public projects, even those with symbolic ties to equality and opportunity. The outcome could have significant implications not only for the Obama Center but also for minority-owned contractors nationwide, who say they continue to face structural barriers within major federal and philanthropic construction initiatives.
