New Haven Firefighters To Receive $2 Million In Reverse Discrimination Case

[The Northerner]

Source: Hartford Courant

NEW HAVEN — Seven years after suing New Haven in a reverse discrimination case that was affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court, 20 white firefighters who claimed their promotions were blocked by city affirmative action policy were poised to settle for about $2 million on Thursday.

A city official said New Haven would formally announce a settlement later today. Karen Lee Torre, the Branford attorney who sued and won the case at the nation’s highest court in 2009, was not immediately available on Thursday morning.

Although the firefighters, one of whom was both white and Hispanic, won at the Supreme Court, additional issues continued to be litigated as recently as last week in U.S. District Court in New Haven. Offers of settlement filed by the city on late Wednesday appear to have ended the case.

The firefighters, depending on their positions and seniority, will receive sums from the city running from about $27,000 to $135,000. In most cases, some portion of the settlements will be paid almost immediately in cash and some will take the form of additions to the pensions paid to the firefighters on their retirements, according to the settlement offers filed in court.

Read more: http://www.courant.com/news/breaking/ctn-new-haven-firefighters-to-receive-2-million-in-reverse-discrimination-case-20110728,0,502343.story

[24601]

1. Discrimination is wrong regardless of the race, color, gender etc. n/t

[socialshockwave]

2. Sadly,

Some people believe this never happens.

[CTyankee]

3. Well, as a resident of New Haven paying for this, I can tell you that Frank Ricci is

friend of liberals. He is known for suing employers in the past and leaving the taxpayers paying the tab.

But my gripe is really with the mayor who allowed this to happen. DeStefano is a disgrace. The New Haven Fire Department's test could have produced better results in terms of diversity, like the one used by Bridgeport. If you read the dissent in Ricci v. DeStefano you get the gist of the argument of the true liberals...

[tammywammy]

4. I don't like the phrase "reverse discrimination"

It's discrimination. Period.

[robcon]

5. Exactly.

n/t