Supreme Court Rules in Favor of White Firefighters

July 8, 2009

In a decision that many are heralding to be a victory for fair employment laws, the Supreme Court decided yesterday that a group of white firefighters from New Haven should not be denied a promotion, simply because their black counterparts did not score as well on an examination. The decision was 5 to 4.

The group of firefighters brought their case to trial after they passed their exams with flying colors and were later told that the exam was discriminatory. The tests were both written and orally administered. Lower courts ruled that the fire department had acted completely legally by throwing out the exam. However, the group of firefighters appealed the rulings all the way to the Supreme Court. Here it was ruled that such an act was reverse discrimination.

The Court upheld that the racial breakdown of test results cannot be used to invalidate an exam unless there is a strong basis in evidence to believe that a test is discriminatory.