Justice Department claims Durham Fire Department unintentionally discriminated against Black applicants
CURRENTLY ACTIVE AT THIS POINT.
ALL RIGHT, AARON, THANK YOU.
>> THE CITY OF DURHAM WILL HAVE
TO PAY NEARLY 1 MILLION DOLLARS
FOR A TEST THAT UNINTENTIONALLY
KEPT BLACK CANDIDATES FROM
GETTING FIREFIGHTING JOBS.
THAT MONEY WILL GO TO PAST
APPLICANTS AS PART OF A
SETTLEMENT WITH THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT WRAL'S MONICA CASEY
HAS BEEN LOOKING INTO THIS
CASE. AND MONICA, THIS ISSUE
GOES BACK TO 2015.
>> THAT'S RIGHT. THIS ISSUE
CENTERS ON THE WRITTEN TEST
FOR APPLICANTS TO THE DURHAM
FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE DEPARTMENT
OF JUSTICE ARGUED THAT TEST
DISPROPORTIONATELY ELIMINATED
AFRICAN AMERICAN APPLICANTS
FROM CONSIDERATION.
>> A LAWSUIT ALLEGING
UNINTENTIONAL DISCRIMINATION
AGAINST AFRICAN AMERICANS
APPLYING TO THE DURHAM FIRE
DEPARTMENT HAS MAJOR
CONSEQUENCES FOR THE CITY OF
DURHAM SINCE 2015
AFRICAN-AMERICAN APPLICANTS
SAILED THE DEPARTMENT'S WRITTEN
TEST AT A HIGHER RATE THAN
WHITE APPLICANTS ABOUT 37% OF
AFRICAN-AMERICAN TEST TAKERS
FAILED COMPARED TO 11% OF WHITE
TEST TAKERS. THE DOJ SAYS
BECAUSE THE DURHAM FIRE
DEPARTMENT USED THAT TEST TO
DECIDE WHO WOULD MOVE ON TO THE
NEXT INTERVIEW STAGE. THEY
UNINTENTIONALLY DISCRIMINATED
AGAINST AFRICAN AMERICANS.
NOW THE CITY HAS TO FIND A NEW
TEST. A $980,000 TO APPLICANTS
DISQUALIFIED BY THAT HAS TO
SUBMIT CLAIMS AND HIGHER UP
TO 16 ELIGIBLE FIREFIGHTERS
FROM THAT GROUP. IF THEY MEET
THE QUALIFICATIONS IN A FIRE
CHIEF ROBERT'S OLDEST SAYS HE
WAS PLEASED THE FOUR-YEAR
REVIEW BY DOJ CONFIRMED NO
INTENTIONAL DISCRIMINATION
WRITING IN PART, QUOTE.
>> THE DURHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT
HAS AND WILL ALWAYS BE
DEDICATED TO RECRUITING HIRING
AND RETAINING WELL-QUALIFIED
FIREFIGHTERS WHO REFLECT THE
RICH DIVERSITY OF DURHAM.
>> THE CITY TELLS ME THAT BACK
PAY WILL COME FROM THE RISK.
RETENTION FUND. I ALSO REACHED
OUT TO THAT 3RD PARTY COMPANY
WHO PROVIDES THIS TEST ABOUT
WHETHER THEY'RE REVIEWING ANY
PORTIONS OF IT. I HAVE NOT YET
HEARD BACK FROM THEM. THE
FIREFIGHTERS UNION TELLS ME
THEY ARE NOT MAKING ANY COMMENT
RIGHT NOW UNTIL THEY'VE
DISCUSSED ALL OF THIS WITH
THEIR MEMBERSHIP. WE'RE LIVE IN