Justices Rule for White Firefighters in Bias Case, reversing Sotomayor

[groovedaddy]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court ruled Monday 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.

New Haven was wrong to scrap a promotion exam because no African-Americans and only two Hispanic firefighters were likely to be made lieutenants or captains based on the results, the court said Monday in a 5-4 decision. The city said that it had acted to avoid a lawsuit from minorities.

The ruling could alter employment practices nationwide, potentially limiting the circumstances in which employers can be held liable for decisions when there is no evidence of intentional discrimination against minorities.

"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," Justice Anthony Kennedy said in his opinion for the court. He was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/06/29/business/AP-US-SupremeCourt-Fire.html?_r=1&hp

[Sister_Souljazz]

1. this is a setback for Civil Rights

This is such a setback for Civil Rights in America. Bush stacked the high court with old white males who are against Civil Rights.

We need diversity in our workplace and in our country, and we need laws to make sure it is happening. White males should not even be allowed to sue for bias, they have this whole country tilted in their favor, ever President we ever had up until 6 months ago was a white male, every vice president we have ever had is a white male, the Supreme Court is run by white males, how can a white male sue for bias when they dominate every part of America?

a sad sad day for America and a setback of more than 50 years of racial progress

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

5. They could sue because they were discriminated against.

[brendan120678]

2. Probably not a bad ruling, all things considered...

The City of New Haven was screwed either way it went - if it certified the exam results, or if it refused to certify (as is the case). Any way, now the CIty will have to take a much closer look at its Civil Service hiring/promotion techniques to try to come up with a way much more fair and equitable than just an oral/written exam.

[rurallib]

3. Roberts, Alito, Thomas and Scalia

what a fucking broken record.

[happyslug]

4. Here is the Actual Opinion.

http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/08pdf/07-1428.pdf

[chriskirobb]

6. Re: Ricci case setback to civil rights

It would be interesting to see a discussion involving the actual laws and issues involved in this case, but I hope we can at least strive to understand what this case was about before getting into reactionary Ricci bashing. There is certainly a pervasive issue of racism particularly in east coast firehouses, but this particular issue is more about the difficulty first generation firefighters have in trying to earn promotions. Many white firefighters are "legacy" firefighters (their dad, uncles and cousins are firefighters) which is an advantage in terms of mentoring and training, while most black firefighters are first-generation firefighters. Every specific complaint so far (access to textbooks, process of assigning mentors, etc) relates to first-generation vs legacy firefighters, infusing race as the primary cause and the ensuing racial tensions which result is in itself racist and is what sets back racial relations in this country.

[trumanh59639]

7. Great. Just great

The racists are getting their way more often these days.

[jimmyflint]

8. So called reverse racism is just racism under a new name.

Some don't believe it but minorities can also be racist.

[Taitertots]

9. Yet no one can actually show what part of the test

was supposedly racist. What part supposedly benefits whites?