In a bombshell ruling, a federal judge said that tests to become a New York City firefighter discriminated against minority candidates for at least eight years, opening up the door for wholesale changes in the way New York’s finest chooses its employees.
The ruling by Judge Nicholas Garaufis is a ringing indictment of the testing procedures used by the FDNY.
He found that black and Hispanic candidates disproportionately failed the written exams and those who did pass placed disproportionally lower than white candidates.
The bells ringing outside a local firehouse on Wednesday were sounding the alarm — not for a fire, but for the exams used by the FDNY to pick its firefighters.
“These examinations unfairly excluded hundreds of qualified people of color from the opportunity to serve as New York City firefighters,” Judge Garaufis said.
The racial breakdown of the fire department speaks for itself, the judge said in a 93-page decision.
He pointed out that in 2002, according to the city’s own figures, the city’s population was 25 percent black and 27 percent Hispanic.
Yet that year the FDNY had just 2.6 percent black firefighters and 3.7 percent Hispanic firefighters.
And it was just marginally better in 2007. On a force of 8,998 firefighters just 303 were black and 605 were Hispanic.
Attorneys for both sides are expected to meet with the judge next week to discuss possible remedies. It could mean that the FDNY has to hire hundreds more minorities.
(Source: WCBSTV)
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12 Responses
Does anyone have an example of a question that is considered discriminatory, and a reason that it is considered such?
Does this ultra-liberal Judge Nicholas Garaufis wanna be overturned in the supreme court like Sonya Sotomayor in Ricci Vs New Haven?
These guys arrogance knows no bounds.
First of all, NYPD are New York’s Finest, FDNY are New York’s Bravest.
“He found that black and Hispanic candidates disproportionately failed the written exams and those who did pass placed disproportionally lower than white candidates.”
Umm… that couldn’t be because they failed, could it? It has to be discrimination!
The rest of the sentance
If there are less blacks and Hispanic firefighters, then either many are not applying or those that do apply don’t qualify!! What stupidity to hire unqualified firefighters just so that the racial breakdown should match the population!!!! Reverse discrimination once again!! At the expense of the people who will need qualified firefighters helping them!!Ridiculous!!
Once again affirmative action is lowering the bar. This is a huge problem!
Why should the tests be made easier so minorities can pass them? Is there something inherently racial in the written exam that precludes minorities from comprehending? Either you know the answer, or you don’t! Don’t blame race on your failure to “edumacate” yourself! Do we need the firefighter’s exam to be in EBONICS??
on the same token, the DMV is also discriminatory
So is the judge basically saying that black people are not as smart as whites so the test is not fair?
Another stupid liberal. If they can’t pass the test then they fail regardless of their color. I hope that whites sue for reverse discrimination. Based on recent Apellate court rulingd the minorities don’t stand a chance.
The test is discriminatory because it expects people to be able to read and write.
The two next major civil rights issues will be:
Why aren’t speed limit signs in braille, it discriminates against blind people.
Why can’t a non-orthodox Jew be a “Shabbos Goy”? It’s discimination on the basis of religion.
“He pointed out that in 2002, according to the city’s own figures, the city’s population was 25 percent black and 27 percent Hispanic.”
So why are all of the big fat meter maids black?
(I’d like to see them running the hundred yard dash to qualify.) They should be at least 27% Hispanic and 48% white. I want to see a reverse discrimination suit.
And yes, for those who are waiting for an example of a prejudicial white question:
There is a two alarm fire at an occupied four story building. There are two people on the first floor, none on the second, one on the third, and four on the fourth.
1) How many people are in the building?
2) Which floor do enter first?
3) What equipment would you take?
The same question in politically correct format:
Dere be a two larm fire at an occupied foe story building. Dere be two people on the first floe, aint nobody on the second, one be on deh turd, and foe be on the fourt.
1) How many people be in deh building?
2) Which floe you be going into first?
3) What stuff you be takin witcha?
Sue me.
Could it be that if you are an Hispanic or Black male New Yorker with the intelligence to pass the test, you are just less likely to want to join the FDNY than a white guy of the same intelligence. Perhaps because there are more open doors for you, or perhaps because there were fewer firefighter role models while growing up. Or perhaps because Hispanic and Black mothers with children with even a modicum of intelligence and ability to do something else would slap their sons upside the head if they said they wanted to run into buildings on FIRE.
Charlie, you are right about #9 he is being crude and bigoted.
But I would like to know if there was a specific line of questioning that was unfair, or is it more likely that the applicant pool of white guys wanting to be firefighters is different than that the pool of minorities.
I think it’s unfair the way they pick basketball players for the NBA, there are too many blacks playing on the teams. Baseball has too many Hispanic players in the Majors! I think we should have lower standards for white players, then we would have racial balance in sports! Get Real! I don’t care who tosses a ball better, I want the best man saving me in a fire or some kind of emergency, if he’s white or green, I’ll be glad to see him!