FDNY Settles Bias Suit
Today’s New York Daily News is reporting that 2 Emergency Medical Service (EMS) lieutenants have reached a settlement with the FDNY in a suit that accused the organization of passing over minorities for promotions. Both lieutenants claim to have been passed over for years. One lieutenant, Frank Andino, is Latino. The other lieutenant, Sylvia Good, is Black.
The EMS lieutenants believe the in-person interview, that partially determines who’s promoted, contributed to an environment that allowed personal biases and prejudices to creep into the determination of who was qualified to become an EMS captain. The officers are pushing for the department to instead use a “color-blind written test.”
Mr. Andino told the News, “They can promote who they want, and they do it along racial lines.”
Ms. Good said, “People who were less qualified but white were getting the promotions that others deserved.”
Haven’t we all heard that story?
Both lieutenants will receive $50,000 as part of the settlement. Mr. Andino will be offered a promotion to captain. Which begs the question…why did he have sue to get the promotion he applied for? If he was truly unqualified, he would still be unqualified! If he has the skills now, he had them during the application process. At no point does Mr. Andino say that he has added any new skills. But, this is how the system works. You sometimes have to fight for what you’ve already earned!
For the full text, see the link below.
Source: www.nydailynews.com (Bias Suit Deal, 10/17/06, by Jonathan Lemire)
The EMS lieutenants believe the in-person interview, that partially determines who’s promoted, contributed to an environment that allowed personal biases and prejudices to creep into the determination of who was qualified to become an EMS captain. The officers are pushing for the department to instead use a “color-blind written test.”
Mr. Andino told the News, “They can promote who they want, and they do it along racial lines.”
Ms. Good said, “People who were less qualified but white were getting the promotions that others deserved.”
Haven’t we all heard that story?
Both lieutenants will receive $50,000 as part of the settlement. Mr. Andino will be offered a promotion to captain. Which begs the question…why did he have sue to get the promotion he applied for? If he was truly unqualified, he would still be unqualified! If he has the skills now, he had them during the application process. At no point does Mr. Andino say that he has added any new skills. But, this is how the system works. You sometimes have to fight for what you’ve already earned!
For the full text, see the link below.
Source: www.nydailynews.com (Bias Suit Deal, 10/17/06, by Jonathan Lemire)
posted by S. Mary Wills at 12:38 PM
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