Employment Law | Expert Legal Commentary
August 28, 2009
Ricci v. DeStefano: Firefighters Suffered Reverse Discrimination by City in Violation of Title VII
Ricci v. DeStefano
By
Jeremy J. Gray of Zuber & Taillieu
In a split decision that broke along conservative and liberal lines, the Supreme Court found that the city of New Haven engaged in reverse discrimination and violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when it tossed out a qualification test that generated a sharp disparate impact in favor of white applicants over minorities. The case, Ricci v. DeStefano, ___ U.S. ____, 129 S.Ct. 2658 (2009), has been hailed as one of the most important employment law decisions in recent years, magnifying the debate about how far an employer can and should go to avoid a discriminatory impact.
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About the Author
Jeremy J. Gray is a Partner of Zuber & Taillieu, focusing on employment law.
Image Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/shaunl
