Nation/World / News Q & A

Q & A on the News:

Q. Regarding the New Haven firefighters and the Supreme Court decision, everything I've read says there were no black candidates. Is this true?

-- Barbara Turner, Newnan

A. No black firefighters in New Haven, Conn., scored high enough on the exam to be promoted to lieutenant or captain, which led to the city throwing out the test.

The U.S. Supreme Court on June 29 ruled in favor of 20 white firefighters who sued the city, alleging discrimination because they did well enough to be promoted. According to the Hartford Courant, 118 candidates took the test, 27 of them black, seeking 15 available positions. When no blacks qualified, the city civil service board scrapped the results under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which requires employers to void tests that produce "disparate" results among races, unless the employer can prove the test is job-related, necessary and that no less discriminatory alternatives exist, according to the Courant. The city said it scrapped the test because it feared lawsuits from the blacks who failed to qualify for promotion.

The 19 qualifying whites and a 20th plaintiff considered white and Hispanic sued New Haven in 2004. The 5-4 Supreme Court ruling overturned a decision by the U.S. Second Court of Appeals supported by Judge Sonia Sotomayor, nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court by President Obama. Sotomayor's position is expected to draw questions in confirmation hearings.