BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) — A group of current and former employees of the Illinois Department of Transportation are accusing the agency of a history of systemic racism, particularly in its operations in southern Illinois.

Lee Coleman, a former Transportation Department Equal Employment Opportunity officer, says years of documenting, reporting and complaining about racial issues in the agency has not resulted in any action. He says the political party of the incumbent governor or legislative majority has made no difference.

In a prepared statement, spokesman Paul Wappel said “inequality and discrimination are not and will not be tolerated.”