From Caribbean360

WASHINGTON D.C., United States, Wednesday March 19, 2014, CMC – The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) says it has reached an agreement in principle with the City of New York and intervening plaintiffs to settle an employment discrimination lawsuit involving the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) over its discriminatory hiring practices for Caribbean nationals and other minorities.

Under the agreement in principle, the DOJ said the city of New York will pay an estimated US$98 million to resolve allegations that the FDNY “engaged in a pattern or practice of employment discrimination” against African-American and Hispanic applicants, including Caribbean nationals, for the entry-level firefighter position by using two discriminatory written tests in 1999 and 2002.

The DOJ said the parties’ agreement in principle will be incorporated into a consent decree that is subject to a fairness hearing and must be approved by the district court.

“This resolution will help ensure that those who seek to serve as firefighters in New York City have an equal opportunity to do so, regardless of their race,” said Associate Attorney General Tony West.

“The agreement we are announcing today, which is the result of the collective efforts of the Justice Department, the private plaintiffs, and the city of New York , not only will compensate victims of discriminatory hiring practices, it will also put in place an entry-level hiring process that should more accurately identify firefighter candidates who are best qualified to do the job,” he added.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division said the agreement will provide “significant and long-awaited relief” to minority applicants for employment with the FDNY, who were harmed by the FDNY’s discriminatory hiring practices.

“We applaud the city of New York and Mayor de Blasio for their efforts to bring this important matter to a resolution,” she said.

“The Department of Justice stands committed to ensuring justice and compensation to those who are victims of unfair employment practices.”

The DOJ said the lawsuit originated in 2007 when the department filed its complaint alleging that the FDNY’s use of two written tests violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by disproportionately screening out African-American and Hispanic applicants, including Caribbean nationals, for the entry-level firefighter position.

The DOJ said the FDNY was unable to show that these screening devices identified the candidates who were best qualified to perform the job of firefighter, as required in order to keep the tests in place.

Under the terms of the agreement in principle, the FDNY will pay US$98 million to those minority victims of discrimination who filed claim forms and who have already been found eligible for relief by the court.

The method of distribution has not yet been determined and must be approved by the court before any money is distributed, the DOJ said.

In addition to the agreement in principle, the DOJ said the court has already ordered several changes to take place within the FDNY to remedy the city’s discriminatory hiring practices.

PHOTO: The city of New York will pay an estimated US$98 million to resolve allegations that the FDNY “engaged in a pattern or practice of employment discrimination” against African-American and Hispanic applicants, including Caribbean nationals. (Credit: lawand)

For more on this story go to: http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/1107305.html?utm_source=Caribbean360+Newsletters&utm_campaign=18a87a3710-Vol_9_Issue_056_News3_19_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_350247989a-18a87a3710-39393477#ixzz2wR0JZ1KE