New Haven Firefighter Originally Hired By Claiming Discrimination

[one...two...tree 2,762]

By Brian Beutler

Deserved or not, the biggest political thorn in Sonia Sotomayor's side has been one Frank Ricci of New Haven, CT. Ricci is a firefighter who sued the city claiming reverse discrimination in 2003 after officials there discarded the results of a firefighter's promotion test after the test was revealed to have a disparate impact on blacks and Hispanics.

But flash back, if you will, to January 25, 1995, when, according to the Hartford Courant Ricci was singing the opposite tune: "A decorated firefighter has filed a lawsuit against the city, saying he was not hired because he is dyslexic."

The lawsuit, filed recently in federal court, could shed light on the selection process used by the city, which has been beset with criticism over politics and nepotism. Frank Ricci charges in the lawsuit that the city violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.

Ricci, a Wallingford native who now lives in Maryland, was one of 795 candidates who were interviewed for 40 openings. Ricci told interviewers that he has a learning disability, the lawsuit says.

Fire commissioners have said that although Ricci was qualified, many others also were qualified because they passed the Civil Service examination.

Two years later, that case was resolved. "In a confidential settlement, struck two years later, Mr. Ricci withdrew his lawsuit in exchange for a job with the fire department and $11,143 in attorney's fees."

If you were Frank Ricci, you might say something like, "Frank Ricci got a job and somebody who wasn't dyslexic didn't." Remember, this is the same Frank Ricci who took his reverse discrimination suit all the way to the Supreme Court, where lower court rulings against him--including one by Sotomayor's Second Circuit--were overturned.

Ricci will testify against Sotomayor before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week--this despite the fact that his views on jurisprudence seem to begin and end with the proposition that legal protections against discrimination are great when they work in his favor, and unconscionable when they don't.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/07...ion.php?ref=fpb

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Weird.

[HAL 9000 96]

Woops.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

This is the one thing the Obama team are good at. They know how to win. They knew this all along, they let the media bleat on and on about it and released it 2 days before the actual hearings

Too bad they're not nearly this good at governing.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

This is the one thing the Obama team are good at. They know how to win. They knew this all along, they let the media bleat on and on about it and released it 2 days before the actual hearings

Too bad they're not nearly this good at governing.

Frank Ricci sure is gonna look like a POS when he testifies.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Classic!

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Steven hates white people.

Steven,

Throw away that white guilt and boost your white pride. Every time you look up at the moon think "Only my race has walked on the moon".

Still take pride in other races but don't alienate your own.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Grow up Lucky.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

It seems I've made you form an opinion.

First time for everything.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Oh my opinion of you is well established. Don't you be worrying about that.

So is it a White Pride day for you, or is your white cloak and hood at the dry cleaners?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

It seems I've made you form an opinion.

First time for everything.

Rich, when will you actually form an opinion of your own that wasn't given to you from your hero, Savage?

Edited July 11, 2009 by Col. 'Bat' Guano

[Pooky 3,347]

By Brian Beutler

Deserved or not, the biggest political thorn in Sonia Sotomayor's side has been one Frank Ricci of New Haven, CT. Ricci is a firefighter who sued the city claiming reverse discrimination in 2003 after officials there discarded the results of a firefighter's promotion test after the test was revealed to have a disparate impact on blacks and Hispanics.

But flash back, if you will, to January 25, 1995, when, according to the Hartford Courant Ricci was singing the opposite tune: "A decorated firefighter has filed a lawsuit against the city, saying he was not hired because he is dyslexic."

The lawsuit, filed recently in federal court, could shed light on the selection process used by the city, which has been beset with criticism over politics and nepotism. Frank Ricci charges in the lawsuit that the city violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.

Ricci, a Wallingford native who now lives in Maryland, was one of 795 candidates who were interviewed for 40 openings. Ricci told interviewers that he has a learning disability, the lawsuit says.

Fire commissioners have said that although Ricci was qualified, many others also were qualified because they passed the Civil Service examination.

Two years later, that case was resolved. "In a confidential settlement, struck two years later, Mr. Ricci withdrew his lawsuit in exchange for a job with the fire department and $11,143 in attorney's fees."

If you were Frank Ricci, you might say something like, "Frank Ricci got a job and somebody who wasn't dyslexic didn't." Remember, this is the same Frank Ricci who took his reverse discrimination suit all the way to the Supreme Court, where lower court rulings against him--including one by Sotomayor's Second Circuit--were overturned.

Ricci will testify against Sotomayor before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week--this despite the fact that his views on jurisprudence seem to begin and end with the proposition that legal protections against discrimination are great when they work in his favor, and unconscionable when they don't.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/07...ion.php?ref=fpb

Two points:

1. Frank Ricci's first action is a discrimination suit - nowhere in the article does it mention that he wasn't qualified for the position on merit. It simply states that his claim was that he was not hired because he was dyslexic.

2. The Firefighter's exam case - it's not reverse discrimination, that's just term that the media loves because of the angle (all of the media, because they're all into buzzwords). It's a discrimination case.

Also, the firefighter's promotion test was not "revealed to have a disparate impact on blacks and Hispanics", the town was afraid that it might be seen as having a disparate impact because of the results, and so discarded results that proved Ricci was worth a promotion on merit. Completely missing from the article is reference to the time and hard work Ricci put into studying because he is dyslexic

So, in summation, the ACT of Law that protected him in 1995, protected him against discrimination, it wasn't affirmative action, per se. And the 2003 case was discrimination also. The writer of this piece is clutching at straws (like most journo's trying to make a political point where there isn't one) and not getting very far. If his 1995 court case is brought up to make Frank Ricci look bad, it's going to fall flat - very flat.

[HAL 9000 96]

Still a big Woops.

[Nagishkaw 510]

Yup.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Good thing Ricci is dyslexic. Otherwise he would have had to have claimed to be ghey or something to get hired.