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7th Circuit Court of Appeals Orders Chicago to Hire 111 Black Firefighters Who Scored Lower Than Non-Black Candidates…

State-sponsored racism.

CHICAGO — The City of Chicago must hire 111 black firefighter applicants who were passed over for jobs years ago and pay tens of millions of dollars in damages to about 6,000 other black candidates under a ruling issued on Friday by a federal appeals court.

The decision from the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is only the latest in a legal battle that began with a written employment test for firefighters more than a decade ago, wound its way to the United States Supreme Court by last year and remains a matter of division and concern among the city’s firefighters.

“For some of the people involved, this is a very emotional moment,” said Joshua Karsh, a lawyer who represented black applicants who accused the city of employment discrimination. “The city could have cleared this up a long time ago.”

In 1995, 26,000 people took an employment test to become firefighters.

The city said anyone who had scored above 65 was considered “qualified,” but chose its initial hires from random sets among candidates who scored 89 or better, a group it deemed “highly qualified,” court documents say.

But after complaints were filed, the city conceded that the 89-point cutoff created a “disparate impact” against black candidates — 6,000 of whom had gotten qualified scores — compared with white candidates, the documents show.

Posted by ZIP on Saturday, May 14, 2011, at 12:53 pm | Like Tweet

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72 comments
  1. Uno Ping Solo says:
    May 14, 2011 at 12:57 pm

    And the band plays on.

  2. Rocketman says:
    May 14, 2011 at 12:58 pm

    Send this on the the Supreme Court. It is not constitutional. BTW Yes lets put political correctness before safety. Dumb Bastards.

  3. nugykent says:
    May 14, 2011 at 12:59 pm

    nothing like affirmative action.

  4. John Difool says:
    May 14, 2011 at 12:59 pm

    Because actually having the aptitude to perform your job well and protect life and property is so unfair…….so racist.

  5. Hening says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:01 pm

    Military scholarships changed this year. Not only are there less of them, but instead of achievement they are going to people based on income. If only the rich were getting them there would be an outcry from the Left, but since just people from low income backgrounds are receiving them I’m sure this is hope and change.

    I used to be a firefighter and those 111 are going to have a hard time of it. When you breath smoke and deal with entering structural fires, PC goes right out the window. If these people suck, they are going to die and kill others.

  6. JohnDoe57 says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:03 pm

    Whites need not apply. I wish they would just say it.

  7. John Difool says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:07 pm

    This is social justice in action. Nevermind that an entire city block could burn down and several people could die, it just feels good.

  8. Auntie Izlam says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:10 pm

    What’s the point of testing people’s intelligence levels if they’re really hiring by skin color?

  9. juniper says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:10 pm

    I hope that when Joshua Karsh’s house is on fire, the very incompetent firefighters he has forced the authority to hire, will wreak vengeance on his house! If these people put a foot wrong, there will be some big payouts – FROM them!

  10. RazarX says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:10 pm

    Easy Money:
    1. Apply for a job you’re not qualified.
    2. Claim ‘racism’ because you were not hired.
    3. Sue to get the job and millions in damages for your hurt feelings.

  11. Sickofislam says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:13 pm

    Once again hiring and promoting the best!

    I believe we had the same issue in New Haven , CT recently didn’t we? Oh yes, didn’t the Supremes rule on it? I see a lawsuit from Hades heading the Chicago way!

    We need to be able to personally sue JUDGES that purposely rule illegally!

  12. Sickofislam says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:14 pm

    @ RazarX

    4. Sue again when you are too dumb to pass promotion tests!

  13. jennifer says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:15 pm

    This impacts everyone that travels in the area, as firefighters respond to accidents etc. Makes me think of SNL lowered expectations.

  14. Andrea says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:17 pm

    Hey, here’s a novel idea – if you don’t score high enough on a test, sign up for the next one and try to do better. People’s lives and property is at stake if you fuck up! A firefighter must be able to do the job. Do they really think that the “powers that be” went through 6,000 answer sheets, weeded out the black applicants, determined their average scores, and then chose a grade of 89% because the majority of black applicants scored below that number?!!! Give me a fkn break! Once again progress toward racial harmony takes 2 steps back.

  15. John Difool says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:19 pm

    Lets just do away with aptitude tests all together and let anyone realize their dream of becoming a firefighter even if they aren’t intellectually up to the task.

    Also, while we’re at it, lets let anyone who is a felon or fresh out of prison realize their dream of finally becoming a police officer.

    Rules are stupid anyway.

  16. Andrea says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:19 pm

    Excuse me – make that 26,000 applicants – holy shit!

  17. rboa says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:19 pm

    This is EXACTLY how come we have a black president. obummer has no talents except for being black and getting in the right line for affirmative action.

  18. Stephana says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:19 pm

    chi town is turning into detroit rapidly. Just think, next they will be hiring illiterates since that will become the new normal.

  19. er says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:29 pm

    Um, didn’t this just get ruled the other way around a year or two ago? http://www.ctlawtribune.com/getarticle.aspx?ID=34212

    Of course with Mr Holder in charge, White folks are guilty guilty guilty. I’m going to start going by my Indian name…..everything will probably be free ála Chris Rock. I can get jobs without even taking qualification exams. My Dad and all the other White people have obviously oppressed me. Social Justice demands that I get Free housing, jobs, healthcare and free money. President Obama said so.

    Jesus. What has become of America?

  20. er says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:30 pm

    You beat me to it Sickofislam :)

  21. Persephone says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:36 pm

    The good people of Chicago should sue the City for shirking their fiduciary duties and putting their safety at risk.

    The City forces its citizens to pay taxes.
    In return for that, the City is supposed to provide such services as a Fire Department to respond to fires.
    It is the City’s duty to maximize the use tax revenues in hiring the most qualified applicants for those firefighter jobs….period.

    Affirmative Action is bad enough when applied to non-essential desk jobs in the private sector.
    But when it is applied to essential public sector jobs where life & death situations are a part of the job description…it puts lives at risk.

  22. Fukitol says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:41 pm

    There is no stopping this. The Republicans have shown no will to stop it, the Dems buy votes supporting it.

    If you want to know what the future of your country looks like, come visit Detroit. This has been going on for 38 years in the Motor City and the results are horrifying.

  23. dWheel says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:45 pm

    And the dumbing down of America goes on. Is dumb-ing even a word?

  24. gastorgrab says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:48 pm

    The KKK endorsed a racial quota system too. Only their proportions were different.

    ONLY INFERIORS NEED SPECIAL TREATMENT!

    Affirmative Action imposes the penalty before the crime is committed. It imposes a punishment WITHOUT due process. It labels the majority as ‘Future Racists’ and ‘Future Rights Violators’.
    .

  25. Doug Rose says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:50 pm

    It must be Proud to be a Dumb Black Person ?

  26. er says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:52 pm

    I think the nuclear missile personnel have a case as well. We need to get the folks who fail the psych test into launch positions.

  27. gastorgrab says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:53 pm

    “the 89-point cutoff created a “disparate impact” against black candidates”

    ———-

    The rule of law is a system of means, not a system of ends. The ends (“disparate impact”) do not justify these means.

    This court openly admitted that it failed to find ‘the accused’ guilty of a rights violation, and ‘punished’ the defendant based on the unwelcome outcome.

    Can the loser of the Boston Marathon sue the winner because he doesn’t like the outcome? Should he assume that he was treated unfair based ONLY on the outcome of the race?
    .

  28. John Difool says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:54 pm

    If you can make a paper airplane and get it to fly more than ten feet, you should be able to get a job piloting a passenger jet. Just my opinion.

  29. vagabond trader says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:55 pm

    This has been going on for years,also hiring of unqualified female applicants. My husband was a FF and he has been there done that. Nothing but trouble and public safety be damned.

  30. vulfy says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:56 pm

    And people wonder why this country is slowly going to the dogs.

  31. John Difool says:
    May 14, 2011 at 1:59 pm

    If you have ever scaled Pointe du Hoc in Call of Duty 2 and taken out a German machine gun nest, you should be able to get a job with one of our Special Forces branches.

    Just my opinion.

  32. gastorgrab says:
    May 14, 2011 at 2:00 pm

    So what 111 other people will lose their jobs, and how many of them are NOT “White”?

    Or will only white applicants be targeted for termination?

    On the face, this is not just discrimination against “white applicants”. A preference for one special interest group is discrimination against all other identities.
    .

  33. Turner Brown says:
    May 14, 2011 at 2:01 pm

    It’s been around for quite a while and judging by the way current conditions are headed it’ll be around at least that much longer. In 1971 I was ekeing out a living by driving a tanker (gas, diesel, kero, asphalt, etc.) for an independent hauler in the Smithfield, NC area. I was a conscientious and considerate driver and felt that I could do better elsewhere. Gulf Oil Company was one of the companies that had a terminal in Selma, NC at that time and they were hiring drivers and their pay scale was far above that which I was being paid. I went to the Gulf terminal to apply for a driving position only to be told by the terminal manager that the NEXT THREE POSITIONS would have to be filled by “black” drivers regardless of qualifications of me or any other “white” applicants. “LONG LIVE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION”.

  34. John Difool says:
    May 14, 2011 at 2:04 pm

    If you successfully completed GoldenEye 007 on the hard setting you should be promptly hired by the C.I.A. for covert missions overseas.

    Jmo.

  35. vagabond trader says:
    May 14, 2011 at 2:06 pm

    Meh,look at the unqualified affirmative action candidate sitting in the WH. Why should any other profession be exempt from the joys of incompetent workers who can never be disciplined or fired.

  36. M1 says:
    May 14, 2011 at 2:15 pm

    As a small business owner I do not hire minorities. Don’t like it? Tough shit.

  37. 9-11 Infidel says:
    May 14, 2011 at 2:32 pm

    So letme see here everyone takes a test for a job. If you well, you may not get hired because of skin color? I thought we fixed that problem in 64 and 65.

    Oh wait almost forgot, the Army played that same shit with promotion boards. There is always a “quota” to fill.

    Take it to the SCOTUS.

    If you’re a smart guy/gal you don’t a pass because of your color. Smart employers should be able to hire smart people irrespective of skin type.

  38. vangrungy says:
    May 14, 2011 at 2:37 pm

    If my house is on fire, can I choose to not have incompetents douse the flames?

  39. Jethro says:
    May 14, 2011 at 2:42 pm

    Her’s some film shot at the Chicago Firefighter IQ Test (actual test is at .51 in the clip).

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0yQunhOaU0&playnext=1&list=PL61BD46E4083F5888

  40. whthfk says:
    May 14, 2011 at 2:52 pm

    This is just fucking bullshit. I’m sorry but I would like my first responders to have some sort of brain function going on.
    If these fuckers were too stupid to pass the test then they shouldn’t be firefighters.
    We have a test for a reason and if we keep dumbing them down then we are going to suffer greatly for it.
    If a Firefighter comes to my house to save my family I would expect them to know what their doing and have an IQ higher the Forest Gump.

    This is racism straight up. If you don’t get a job you want because your to fucking retarded to pass the test and your black or some other minority it must be because the TEST IS RACIST.

    I would fight this to the death. People and especially dumb people should not be rewarded because their skin is darker then someone else. This is just BULLSHIT. I know one thing If I’m on Chicago and get hurt need a fireman and I get a minority who causes me more injuries because he was to stupid to pass and entrance test then I will sue the city of Chicago for BILLIONS.

    Fucking Racist bullshit.

  41. tina says:
    May 14, 2011 at 3:10 pm

    whthfk-they did the same thing for policemen. these judges need to go by-by. this is straight up communism.

  42. vagabond trader says:
    May 14, 2011 at 3:20 pm

    About time FFers and cops divorce themselves from social justice inclined unions and politicians. Elections have consequences.

  43. S. Wolf says:
    May 14, 2011 at 3:32 pm

    It’s institutional racism.. the left has always believed there was institutional racism among whites toward non-whites.. and that is what the left is creating with Zero’s wrenching transformation, institutional racism toward whites on the basis turnabout is fair play and payback is a bitch.. thus whites are intimidated by black thugs at voting stations, racially profiled by TSA, discriminated against in hiring, etc.. the left ignores the history of racism in the U.S., that it was mainly a Democrat creation, and so it is now.. racism against whites is a Democrat creation, all for the votes of non-whites.

  44. lonestar says:
    May 14, 2011 at 3:34 pm

    Why aren’t the black people in CA who can’t swim applying for those lifeguard jobs paying $150,000 a year? Seems like discrimination to me. The Ninth Circuit would surely go along with it.

  45. Shadowblitz70 says:
    May 14, 2011 at 3:35 pm

    I wonder how many white applicants that scored less than 89 will be rammed thru like this?

    Oh wait, they wont. They arent BLACK. They do crap like this then scream if some white people dont like blacks. Theyre creating the divide. I personally dont hate blacks, but Im sure things like this will drive other people to. Newtons 3rd law.

    How about just educating people? Why lower standards? LAZY. Thats why. Theyre just going the easier route. Playing race card is easier than actual effort.

  46. lonestar says:
    May 14, 2011 at 3:38 pm

    Sap – Every country has had their share of racism. I am sick and tired of constantly hearing about our racist past. They act as if this country is the only place on earth where any kind of racism happened.
    The left won’t be happy until this country looks like the slums of Liberia or Rio. Today’s inner cities already look like it.

  47. Actually Read the Opinion says:
    May 14, 2011 at 3:43 pm

    There were a lot of other criteria that applicants were judged on, not just the written test. Hiring based on the written test at 89 and above filtered out black applicants. They did not choose to hire from the highest scores to the lowest, but from pools at the 89 and above cutoff. Therefore, the city could not show that the written score was related, ultimately, to competence as a firefighter, because they did not hire from the best scores to the lowest. The only purpose it really served was to filter out minorities. This already went to the Supreme Court, and it got sent back down for judgment 9-0. That’s right, 9-0. So go complain to your God Scalia. Bigots

  48. andycanuck says:
    May 14, 2011 at 3:46 pm

    Simple solution. Only use them in fire stations serving black neighbourhoods. And “Actually Read the Opinion” can move into one of those neighbourhoods to prove how un-racist he is.

  49. vagabond trader says:
    May 14, 2011 at 3:50 pm

    So actually,you voted for Ubama to prove you aren’t racist? Who you going to vote for in 2012 to prove you aren’t an idiot? :mrgreen:

  50. The Original says:
    May 14, 2011 at 3:51 pm

    They had to do something like this for the WA State Bar test because not enough minorities were passing. It still is one of the hardest, but they did dumb it down a bit.

  51. Ed says:
    May 14, 2011 at 4:03 pm

    I would love to see insurance companies downgrade the rating for Chicago as far as their fire dept goes…….and raise premium rates accordingly based on this.

  52. Mike says:
    May 14, 2011 at 4:11 pm

    Ridiculous, race has nothing to do with firefighting. Why is it the black man always feels there was bias in firefighter testing? If you scored 69% you are less bled than the guys and gals that scored 89% .
    Fairness went out the window with affirmative action. Why is the black man in a special class? What of the other races that were in the 69% ranking? Do they get a fat payoff as well?

  53. Vaughn says:
    May 14, 2011 at 4:12 pm

    I hear that the fire department in Zimbabwe is first rate. That’s where this country is headed.

  54. Mike says:
    May 14, 2011 at 4:13 pm

    Fixed — Ridiculous, race has nothing to do with firefighting. Why is it the black man always feels there is bias in firefighter testing? If you scored 69% you are less able than the guys and gals that scored 89% . Period…..

  55. h. says:
    May 14, 2011 at 4:26 pm

    ” Why is the black man in a special class?”

    Because most black men don’t measure up to their caucasian counterparts when it comes to intelligence. Statistics don’t lie.

  56. Smokey says:
    May 14, 2011 at 4:53 pm

    No big deal……….the black president is not qualified either…..

  57. Smokey says:
    May 14, 2011 at 5:11 pm

    Just wait till Mrs. O’Leary’s cow kicks over a lantern…….then they will be sorry…..

  58. lonestar says:
    May 14, 2011 at 5:31 pm

    Why aren’t Asians and Hispanics represented in the NBA? Just because they’re way shorter and don’t play as well. Straight up discrimination. Al Sharpton demanded more blacks in NFL management positions, I say we need to demand more diversity in the NBA.

  59. mike wingfield says:
    May 14, 2011 at 5:37 pm

    Since they are not to smart just send them in with empty air tanks,problem solved! I couldn’t pass the test either,but since I’m white I’m shit out of luck!

  60. vangrungy says:
    May 14, 2011 at 5:59 pm

    Chicago = Detroit 2.0

  61. Armageddon Thru To You says:
    May 14, 2011 at 7:07 pm

    And they wonder why lazy, low-intellect stereotypes are perpetuated. It’s because they are based on REALITY!

  62. Smokey says:
    May 14, 2011 at 7:09 pm

    To hell with the crack heads , let them go into the military, or are they too fucking stupid to even do taht?

  63. Smokey says:
    May 14, 2011 at 7:34 pm

    that*

  64. DisturbedMary says:
    May 14, 2011 at 7:50 pm

    Everybody should just claim to be black. What will they do then?

  65. exsgtbrown says:
    May 14, 2011 at 8:01 pm

    and the sign says “whites need not apply”…

  66. Tom says:
    May 14, 2011 at 8:43 pm

    Chicagoland residents…
    you’d better be sure your insurance coverage is fully paid up.

  67. Monster Zero says:
    May 14, 2011 at 10:08 pm

    Smokey-Ms. O’Leary died in a mugging at McDonalds and Laquisha stole her cow…

  68. TEXASLEGAL says:
    May 14, 2011 at 10:27 pm

    Nothing like admitting you are stupid…Wasn’t there a similar case that was actually reversed and the white applicants won?

  69. vangrungy says:
    May 14, 2011 at 10:40 pm

    There is nothing that prevents any human from being capable intellectually.

    It’s the culture that screws humans up..

    If blacks weren’t so worried about being ‘oreos’, they would score higher on tests..

    black culture is ass because it’s based on the fictitious idea that black is a culture..

  70. Truthsayer221 says:
    May 14, 2011 at 11:29 pm

    Martin Luther King 1963: “Don’t Judge Me On the Color of MY Skin, But the Content of My Character.”

    Today’s black [sic] leaders: “Give me privilege due to my lack of character and the color of my skin.”

  71. Katherine says:
    May 15, 2011 at 10:39 am

    So let me see if I’ve got this right……….Chicago is being sued for picking the best possible candidates for positions within the Fire Departments.

    It is racist to RANDOMLY pick the best candidates based on tests used for qualifying and finding the best candidates……

    If I hadn’t just taken my pulse, I would swear I was dead and in some kind of progressive hell, where up is defined as down and down is defined as sideways.

  72. commieobamie says:
    May 15, 2011 at 11:42 am

    Because stupid is a known fire retardant.

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