Justice Dept Sues South Bend, IN, for Discriminating Against Black and Female Police Officer Applica

[mountaineer]

Justice Department Sues South Bend, Indiana, for Discriminating Against Black and Female Police Officer Applicants
Friday, October 11, 2024
For Immediate Release
Office of Public Affairs

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the City of South Bend, Indiana, alleging that the hiring process for entry-level police officers at the South Bend Police Department (SBPD) violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Specifically, the department alleges that South Bend uses a written examination that discriminates against Black applicants and a physical fitness test that discriminates against female applicants.

Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, sex, color, national origin and religion. Title VII prohibits not only intentional discrimination but also employment practices that result in a disparate impact on a protected group, unless such practices are job related and consistent with business necessity. ...

The lawsuit stems from a pattern and practice investigation launched by Civil Rights Division in 2021 into SBPD’s hiring practices. The investigation found that SBPD’s written examination and physical fitness test do not meaningfully distinguish between applicants who can and cannot perform the position of entry-level police officer. These tests also had the effect of disqualifying Black and female applicants from the hiring process at significantly disproportionate rates. The department thus concluded that these tests violate Title VII’s bar on discrimination in employment.

Filed in the Northern District of Indiana, the lawsuit alleges that, since at least 2016, South Bend has used a written examination that has disproportionately excluded Black applicants and a physical fitness test that has disproportionately excluded female applicants from consideration for police officer positions.  ...

DOJ Press Release

This is an example of the test question that is just too hard for black folk, in DOJ's paternalistic estimation:

More examples of test questions at https://x.com/cremieuxrecueil/status/1844856866192363630

[Wingnut]

Pothole Pete's town. 

[mountaineer]

Pothole Pete's town.

Perhaps Pete also is too stupid to answer simple arithmetic questions.

[Kamaji]

[Smokin Joe]

What so many seem to miss is that if they are forced to hire unqualified candidates BECAUSE they are female or black, then it will be assumed that all of the female or black officers are only there because they are female or black. That also means that those female and/or black officers who can and did qualify on the tests won't get any credit for having done so in the eyes of the general public. That denigrates the accomplishments of those who met the standard to placate a few who could not.