Black Firefighters Ask Court to Rule in DOJ Lawsuit Charging FDNY with Discriminatory Hiring Practices
CCR Says Evidence of Discrimination is Clearly Established, Making Further Trial Unnecessary
New York, NY – On Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 2:30 p.m., the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and co-counsel from the law firms of Levy Ratner, P.C. and Scott & Scott, LLP will appear before United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis for a hearing in a putative class action lawsuit charging the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) with discriminatory hiring practices. CCR and its co-counsel will ask that Judge Garaufis grant summary judgment in favor of the Vulcan Society, the fraternal organization of Black firefighters in the FDNY, in light of the overwhelming evidence supporting their claims, thus eliminating the need for a trial. The hearing will take place at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn.
CCR, Levy Ratner, and Scott & Scott formally filed to intervene on behalf of the Vulcan Society in the Department of Justice's lawsuit against the City of New York for discriminatory hiring practices in July 2007. The lawsuit grew out of two Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filings by CCR on behalf of the Vulcan Society in 2002 and 2005. The intervention allowed the Vulcan Society to become a party in the lawsuit as plaintiffs.
As of October 2007, black and Hispanic firefighters comprised only 3.4 and 6.7 percent of the FDNY, respectively. The combined black and Hispanic population of New York City comprise over half its total population. New York City has the least diverse fire department of any major city in America; 57 percent of Los Angeles, 51 percent of Philadelphia and 40 percent of Boston firefighters are people of color.
For more information on United States of America and the Vulcans Society, Inc. v. City of New York, click here.
WHO
CCR Attorney Anjana Samant, CCR Attorney Darius Charney
WHAT
United States of America/Vulcans Society, Inc. v. City of New York Hearingon Motion for Summary Judgment
WHERE
United States Courthouse - Eastern District of New York
225 Cadman Plaza East, Room 1416
Brooklyn, NY
WHEN
Thursday, March 19, 2009, 2:30 p.m.
The Center for Constitutional Rights is dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Founded in 1966 by attorneys who represented civil rights movements in the South, CCR is a non-profit legal and educational organization committed to the creative use of law as a positive force for social change. Visit www.ccrjustice.org.
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