A class action lawsuit accuses the Bureau of Indian Affairs of discriminating against members of the Navajo Nation.

Two former employees say the BIA failed to apply Navajo preference laws for jobs at Navajo schools. They say the BIA hired non-Navajos and wrote job descriptions to exclude qualified Navajos.

The class action seeks to represent thousands of Navajos who currently or formerly employed by the BIA or the Bureau of Indian Education. The lawyer handling the case said it's the first of its kind.

"The members of the class, as Navajo tribal members whose employment has been adversely affected as a result of decisions of the BIA, is so numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable," the complaint states, The Farmington Daily Times reported. "Because the damages suffered by each individual class member vary, the expense and burden of individual litigation make it virtually impossible for all class members to seek redress for the wrongful conduct alleged herein."

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Navajo file class action lawsuit against BIA (The Farmington Daily Times 7/25)