Supreme Court Rules for Firefighters in Discrimination Case

2009-06-30 18:58:12 (GMT) (WiredPRNews.com - Law, News)

The Supreme Court rules in favor of white firefighters in discrimination case.

The High Court ruled Monday in favor of white firefighters in Connecticut who alleged racial discrimination.

Press Release Wired PR News: The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that white firefighters in the city of New Haven, Connecticut were victims of discrimination in a case regarding testing used in job promotion decisions. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), the High Court stated that the city’s action of throwing out test results of the white firefighters because no African American firefighters had scored high enough to receive a promotion was discriminatory against those who had passed.

As noted by the AP, critics of Supreme Court justice nominee Sonia Sotomayor were further fueled by the ruling because Sotomayor had ruled for the city while serving on an appeals court.

Justice Anthony Kennedy is quoted in the report as stating in the ruling, “Fear of litigation alone cannot justify an employer’s reliance on race to the detriment of individuals who passed the examinations and qualified for promotions.”

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