White Conn. Firefighters Get Badges

(AP)  A group of white firefighters who persuaded the U.S. Supreme Court to sanction their promotions over black colleagues are receiving their new badges Thursday in a ceremony that provides symbolic recognition of their victory.

The high court ruled in June that New Haven officials violated white firefighters' civil rights when they threw out 2003 test results in which too few minorities did well.

The case became an issue in confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who ruled against the white firefighters when she served on a federal appeals court.

Fourteen firefighters who sued are being promoted Thursday to lieutenant and captain. Another 10 firefighters, including four minorities, who took the 2003 tests but were not plaintiffs in the court case also will be promoted.

Dennis Thompson, an attorney for black firefighters who tried unsuccessfully last month to block the promotions of the plaintiffs, said Wednesday that his clients congratulate the newly promoted firefighters.

"Nobody is going to say these guys are unqualified," Thompson said.

But Thompson, who is trying to intervene in federal court in New Haven to challenge the validity of the exams now that they have been certified, said the fight is not over because the black firefighters were not heard. In other cases cities have been required to make more promotions than planned, he said.

"They understand this is a 15-round fight," Thompson said of his clients. "You don't decide who won in Round 3."

That prompted an angry reaction from Karen Torre, attorney for the white firefighters.

"Attorney Thompson's provocations and promise, to me, only demonstrates the need for the Supreme Court to take up the issue of the constitutionality of that provision of Title VII that allows such people to paralyze local governments and the civil service and hold the public hostage to endless litigation over the issue of race," Torre said in a statement.

David Rosen, an attorney for a black New Haven firefighter who is suing the city and arguing he was unfairly denied a promotion, said Wednesday that his client, Michael Briscoe, is happy for the firefighters being promoted and has congratulated several of them.

"He's not trying to take a slot away from one of the people being promoted," Rosen said. "There are other vacant positions."

Frank Ricci, the lead plaintiff among the white firefighters who won and is being promoted, told the Senate in July during Sotomayor's confirmation process that the lower court ruling against him "divides people who don't wish to be divided along racial lines."

Ricci told the panel that "achievement is neither limited nor determined by one's race but by one's skills, dedication, commitment and character."

[native_warrior_USMC]

Here's my question. If all people are equal regardless of skin color, how can someone say that the test was discriminatory towards blacks? If we are all equal, than if a white can pass the test, a black can too. People are created equal, so it is impossible to have a general knowledge test that people of one race have an advantage over another race. All it take is studying. Anybody can do it. So to the ones who didn't pass the test, SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUP AND STUDY HARDER NEXT TIME!!! Quit your whining. Nobody likes a whiner.

[Bubba1800]

Why did it have to be "White Firefighters Get Promoted"???? Why couldn't the headline have been "Firefighters Get Promoted"?? The news media continue to promote racism just to get headlines. The media are some of our worst enemies in getting through race issues.

[Justme8811]

Congrats firefighters! Stay safe! You earned your promotions and I am glad you fought for them!!

[rocketjl]

This is terrible. Where is Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson when you need them???

[Sloughfoot]

"White Conn. Firefighters Get Badges" What a racist headline - Written to stimulate hate, it does. These firefighters took a test designed specifically to give black firefighters an edge at promotion, then bested the best of the best of the black fire fighters and were still denied the promotions.

The Prez says he encourages black/white discussion on racial issues - Well I don't see any invites for a beer party on the east, west, north or south lawn to celebrate the defeat of an politically institued racial policey.

[icjunior97]

If you are going to change the way promotions are done that is fine. But you cannot do that after the scores came out. IT was not these fighters were not to blame when the scores of these tests didnt come out the way other people wanted them to.

[california64]

Reason number 924 why Sotomayor was a horrible choice for the high court.

[exusmc8541]

We are here and the fight is long over.
Judge not by the color of your skin but by the content of your character. And your test scores.
It is almost 2010 please get over it.
There are more than enough people trying to kill us just because we are American.
Study harder pass the test and get the job.
We should be long over the whole race thing by now.
United we stand divided we fall.

[endurorob_5]

David Rosen, an attorney for a black New Haven firefighter who is suing the city and arguing he was unfairly denied a promotion, said Wednesday that his client, Michael Briscoe, is happy for the firefighters being promoted and has congratulated several of them.

"He's not trying to take a slot away from one of the people being promoted," Rosen said. "There are other vacant positions."




Then he shuold have studied harder and scored better on the test.