Firefighters denied promotions

[TD Ryan2 316]

the city was screwed either way.

promote the white (and Hispanic) firefighters based on the test results and the blacks would sue.

throw out the test results and the whites will sue.

another example of affirmative action being an outdated, unfair practice:

 

 

Link to Article

 

New Haven, Ct. Firefighters Claim Reverse Discrimination

Justices to Hear White, Hispanic Firefighters' Claim That City Favored Blacks

By JAN CRAWFORD GREENBURG

and ARIANE de VOGUE

April 21, 2009—

 

 

When firefighters battle a raging blaze, they can be sure that at least one thing will treat them all equally:

 

"The fire isn't going to discriminate against a person whether he's black, white or Hispanic" Connecticut firefighter Ben Vargas, 40, said. "It's going to treat that person the same way."

 

But in the city of New Haven, Vargas, who is Hispanic, and 19 white firefighters say that is where the equal treatment ends, and discrimination begins. They allege that they were denied promotions because the city gave preferential treatment to blacks.

 

Matt Marcarelli, who is white, got the top score on a promotion exam in 2003 and was first in line for captain. But when the city reviewed all the test results, it found that the pass rate for black candidates was about half the corresponding rate for white candidates. None of the black firefighters scored well enough for an immediate promotion. As a result, the city threw out the test results.

 

"Every day I go to work I've got to pin this lieutenant's badge on me, it reminds me I got screwed out of a captain's badge because of the color of my skin," Marcarelli, 38, said. "That gets to you."

 

In New Haven, city officials knew they were headed for a catch 22 when the test results came back. If the city certified the test results, it was confident it could expect a lawsuit from the black firefighters. But when it threw out the test results, it instead got a lawsuit from mostly white firefighters.

Blacks make up about a third of New Haven's 221 firefighters, 15 percent are officers -- eight of 42 lieutenants and one of 18 captains.

 

The case has made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which will hear the argument today. The decision, which is likely to come at the end of June, could affect the hiring and promotion practices for millions of civil servants. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. has made no secret of his opposition to public universities' considering race in admissions decisions, although the New Haven case will be the Roberts' court first look at the use of race in civil servant hiring and promotion.

 

But Victor Bolden, the city's lawyer, supported the decision to scrap the tests. "It looked like the exam might have been discriminatory against some of the minority test takers. And that was certainly a red flag for the city under the law."

 

For decades, people of color across the country have filed scores of discrimination lawsuits to challenge testing in fire departments, police departments and public schools.

 

New Haven officials and some of the city's black firefighters argue that written tests are not the best tests to use and less discriminatory alternatives -- such as oral exams -- are available. Gary Tinney, who is a black firefighter in New Haven, said, "Written tests aren't the best to judge a person on how they will perform their jobs."

 

But whites and Hispanics like Vargas have fought back. Opponents have used civil rights laws to argue reverse discrimination. And they have found some success: The city of Chicago recently settled a major case with white firefighters for $7.5 million.

 

Vargas said civil rights laws should be used to protect his potential promotion. "The civil rights laws, they have nothing in there which state preferential treatment. The civil rights laws are there for everybody; all American citizens have the same exact rights."

 

Black firefighters say that the stakes in their case couldn't be higher.

 

"If we lose this," New Haven firefighter Octavius Dawson said, "the implication is catastrophic. I mean, where does it end. Not just with the fire department. Police department, education, who knows where it could end?"

 

But aggrieved firefighters say they want to take race out of the equation.

 

"We want to be treated just as firefighters, whether we are men, women, white, African American, Hispanic. We want to be treated as firefighters, period."

 

 

Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures

[GettnHuge 2]

Where were they fighting fires? on the moon?

[TD Ryan2 316]

Where were they fighting fires? on the moon?

 

Traditional combustion is unpossible on the moon.

Since the moon has no atmosphere and subsequently, no oxidizers, fires on the moon are a rare and nearly impossible event that would require pre-oxodized fuels.

 

they weren't fighting fires on page one of fftoday.

and they certainly weren't fighting any on the moon.

[GettnHuge 2]

.

[RLLD 4,230]

[peenie 1,915]

how about they stop requiring people to report their race.

[Mungwater 597]

 

Is that an imitation of a hispanic firefighter when asked what to do in a fire?

[patweisers44 846]

 

 

Is that an imitation of a hispanic firefighter when asked what to do in a fire?

donde está el fuego...

[TD Ryan2 316]

how about they stop requiring people to report their race.

 

 

agree with this but fully realize that this still won't stop the crying and lawsuits.

[patweisers44 846]

how about they stop requiring people to report their race.

then how will the tests know who to be prejudiced against ?

[RLLD 4,230]

then how will the tests know who to be prejudiced against ?

 

[Voltaire 5,316]

The decision is going to come down any day now so I'll bump this.

 

I'm pretty sure the firefighters will win. A dream outcome is to go beyond the firefighter ruling and permanently sh*tcan affirmative action in all situations. Chief Justice Roberts often tries to build bridges by issuing narrow rulings that get broad support, but he really seems to be fed up with the racism of AA.

 

We'll see.

[RLLD 4,230]

[heavy-set 39]

what a bunch of honkeys

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

The decision is going to come down any day now so I'll bump this.

 

I'm pretty sure the firefighters will win. A dream outcome is to go beyond the firefighter ruling and permanently sh*tcan affirmative action in all situations. Chief Justice Roberts often tries to build bridges by issuing narrow rulings that get broad support, but he really seems to be fed up with the racism of AA.

 

We'll see.

 

Seems to me there is ample precedent to declare affirmative action unconstitutional. Something the court wrote in Brown v. Board... Something about "separate but equal" being unconstitutional.

[phillybear 366]

Who are we to question the government in how it conducts business? Do we want the best people in charge when lives are at stake? Fock no. We need the same dam rules for firefighters as we do for accountants and trashmen.

[Strike 5,553]

Supreme Court rules in favor of WHITE firefighters. Suck it Sotomayor!!!!!

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090629/ap_on_...ighters_lawsuit

 

:pointstosky:

[RLLD 4,230]

Supreme Court rules in favor of WHITE firefighters. Suck it Sotomayor!!!!!

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090629/ap_on_...ighters_lawsuit

 

:pointstosky:

 

 

That is great news....

[patweisers44 846]

Supreme Court rules in favor of WHITE firefighters. Suck it Sotomayor!!!!!

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090629/ap_on_...ighters_lawsuit

 

:pointstosky:

[Voltaire 5,316]

Good. Hopefully the detaqils wil be a very broad ruling on all of AA.

[TD Ryan2 316]

[Thornton Melon 620]

Score one for Whitey!

 

Though I'm sure it'll be an isolated win....

[wiffleball 4,790]

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court has ruled that white firefighters in New Haven, Conn., were unfairly denied promotions because of their race, reversing a decision that high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor endorsed as an appeals court judge.

 

I had no idear that Sotomayor was involved in this - what a focking c unt. This is what happens when you elect a negro.

 

SCOTUS Decision:

[jgcrawfish 232]

Score one for Whitey!

 

Though I'm sure it'll be an isolated win....

 

focker, you stole my Whitey Wins! Thunder

[Recliner Pilot 61]

Wow! Sotomayor is batting almost 1000 when it comes to her cases being overturned by the Supreme Court.

 

Great pick Obama.

[GettnHuge 2]

[gocolts 300]

Supreme Court rules in favor of WHITE firefighters. Suck it Sotomayor!!!!!

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090629/ap_on_...ighters_lawsuit

 

:pointstosky:

 

Her Conformation hearings start next month.

[Savage Beast 1]

how about they stop requiring people to report their race.

 

So when a guy named Edward Smith applies and then later a guy named DeAndre Smith applies, you think they won't know what race these guys are by name alone?

[TD Ryan2 316]

So when a guy named Edward Smith applies and then later a guy named DeAndre Smith applies, you think they won't know what race these guys are by name alone?

 

OK, listen... back in the 90's, when I first heard the Red Sox would be starting Trot Nixon and Troy O'Leary in the outfield, I though I had that name game all figured out too.

 

WRONGO!

[edjr 6,592]

OK, listen... back in the 90's, when I first heard the Red Sox would be starting Trot Nixon and Troy O'Leary in the outfield, I though I had that name game all figured out too.

 

WRONGO!

 

 

[wiffleball 4,790]

So when a guy named Edward Smith applies and then later a guy named DeAndre Smith applies, you think they won't know what race these guys are by name alone?

 

Gotta blame the Mothers for that. Name your kind 'DeMarshuan' or 'ShaNizzle' and they're pretty much never gonna get past the resume stage.

[heavy-set 39]

WHITE POWER

[Voltaire 5,316]

Gotta blame the Mothers for that. Name your kind 'DeMarshuan' or 'ShaNizzle' and they're pretty much never gonna get past the resume stage.

 

I think legally changing your name to ShaNizzle before you send out your college application then changing it back after getting accepted is a great strategy.

[remote controller 143]

Yo no Soto.

[edjr 6,592]

If you were in a burning house, what color person would you want to try and save you?

 

exactly.

[wiffleball 4,790]

If you were in a burning house, what color person would you want to try and save you?

 

exactly.

 

The fastest one!

[edjr 6,592]

The fastest one!

 

you'd rather OchoCinco run into a burning house to save you instead of say Stephen Neal?

 

You = fail

[remote controller 143]

An irishmen!

[kpbuckeye 3]

If you were in a burning house, what color person would you want to try and save you?

 

exactly.

I want the one who actually shows up to work. That narrows it down to brown and white. Either is fine with me.

[Korben Dallas 0]

RP- try to be less partisan. That's what the SC does, it takes on cases it will likely overturn.

 

Great conversation though-which Title of the civil rights act has superiority? Looks like today the answer is 2.