Resource: United States of America and Vulcan Society, Inc. v. City of New York

United States and Vulcan Society v. City of New York is a class action lawsuit that charges the New York City Fire Department with racially discriminatory hiring practices that violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the United States Constitution, the New York State Constitution, and New York State and City human rights law. The case focuses on the discriminatory impact of written exams used by the FDNY to screen applicants as well as the discriminatory hiring process following the tests. For decades, despite consistent complaints not only from the Vulcan Society but also from internal administrators, the City used a written exam that had never been validated to measure the skills necessary to be a good firefighter. The case is part of CCR's long history of fighting for racial justice.