The United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of white firefighters in New Haven, Connecticut finding that they were unfairly denied promotions based on race.
MSNBC reports that the Supreme Court ruled today that white firefighters in New Haven , Conn. were unfairly denied promotions based upon their race, effectively overturning an appellate court decision against the white firefighters that was supported by Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.
In finding in favor of the white firefighters, the high court found that the city of New Haven was wrong to throw out a promotion exam just because no African-Americans and two Hispanic firefighters would be promoted based on the results.
The 5-4 decision of the Court further said the city had acted against the white firefighters to avoid a lawsuit from minorities.
Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing the opinion on behalf of the majority, said "[f]ear of litigation alone cannot justify an employer's reliance on race to the detriment of individuals who passed the examinations and qualified for promotions," Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas all joined in the decision of Justice Kennedy.
The dissent was far more sympathetic to the white firefighters. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg said the white firefighters "understandably attract this court's sympathy. But they had no vested right to promotion. Nor have other persons received promotions in preference to them."
Written by Gabriel Dorman
gabedorman@gmail.com
www.criminaldefenseduilawyer.com/blog/
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