Chicago To Pay $3.8 Million To Black Female Firefighters
It’s been a long fight for a group of Black female firefighters in Chicago dealing with a discrimination settlement, but the struggle has finally come to an end with the women being awarded $3.8 million in back pension pay.
“Five years ago, the city agreed to hire 111 African-American firefighters bypassed by the city’s discriminatory handling of a 1995 firefighters entrance exam,” reported CBS Chicago. Thirteen of those Black firefighters were women and at the time Chicago used a “controversial and now-abolished test of upper-body strength that was being challenged in federal court for discriminating against women.” Twelve of the Black women–minus one woman who didn’t make it for other reasons–failed due to the test. And if Chicago had not issued that test these women would have been hired in March 2012. They claimed because of this hiring practice they were discriminated against and thus forced to wait three years (until November 2015) to enter the fire academy.
“They should have gone in in March 2012. Instead, it took a lawsuit to get them in … The city owes a lot more now than they would have owed had they heeded our warning not to use the physical fitness test again that was already under challenge,” Marni Willenson, an attorney representing the women, said. “They never should have used that test again — ever.”
This week Chicago’s City Council’s Finance Committee is expected to approve the $3.8 million pension payment to cover pension funds dating all the way back to June 1, 1999, but that doesn’t necessarily mean change is coming. As CBS Chicago pointed out, “Last month, a dozen women who wanted to become paramedics accused the Chicago Fire Department of devising two new physical agility tests that are equally biased against women.” These women are also seeking damages due to discrimination.
Let's discuss this. What are y'all thoughts on this? I know it's gotta be thing slike his happening in other cities in other areas where women are in the minority. If the physical testing portion was biased; what else happened that isn't being mention? Was their candidates sexually harassed & aren't able to speak on it? This was 20 fukking yeas ago... I feels it's just more to this.
It’s been a long fight for a group of Black female firefighters in Chicago dealing with a discrimination settlement, but the struggle has finally come to an end with the women being awarded $3.8 million in back pension pay.
“Five years ago, the city agreed to hire 111 African-American firefighters bypassed by the city’s discriminatory handling of a 1995 firefighters entrance exam,” reported CBS Chicago. Thirteen of those Black firefighters were women and at the time Chicago used a “controversial and now-abolished test of upper-body strength that was being challenged in federal court for discriminating against women.” Twelve of the Black women–minus one woman who didn’t make it for other reasons–failed due to the test. And if Chicago had not issued that test these women would have been hired in March 2012. They claimed because of this hiring practice they were discriminated against and thus forced to wait three years (until November 2015) to enter the fire academy.
“They should have gone in in March 2012. Instead, it took a lawsuit to get them in … The city owes a lot more now than they would have owed had they heeded our warning not to use the physical fitness test again that was already under challenge,” Marni Willenson, an attorney representing the women, said. “They never should have used that test again — ever.”
This week Chicago’s City Council’s Finance Committee is expected to approve the $3.8 million pension payment to cover pension funds dating all the way back to June 1, 1999, but that doesn’t necessarily mean change is coming. As CBS Chicago pointed out, “Last month, a dozen women who wanted to become paramedics accused the Chicago Fire Department of devising two new physical agility tests that are equally biased against women.” These women are also seeking damages due to discrimination.
Let's discuss this. What are y'all thoughts on this? I know it's gotta be thing slike his happening in other cities in other areas where women are in the minority. If the physical testing portion was biased; what else happened that isn't being mention? Was their candidates sexually harassed & aren't able to speak on it? This was 20 fukking yeas ago... I feels it's just more to this.
she's fighting it right now but that's just an idea of the fukkery being swept under the rug and yeah, she's black.
. If not I don't think they should qualify.