(DailyVantage.com) – The Biden-Harris Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched several lawsuits against local police and fire departments, claiming that basic hiring tests are discriminatory. These lawsuits argue that requiring recruits to pass simple math and physical fitness tests disproportionately affects minorities, particularly Black and female applicants.
One of the latest lawsuits, filed last week, targets South Bend, Indiana. The DOJ claims that the city’s hiring tests for police officers and firefighters discriminate against Black and female candidates. According to the lawsuit, the written exam allegedly fails Black applicants more often, and the physical test is harder for women. Yet, many Black candidates do pass the tests, and the lawsuit does not explain how the tests could be racist only to some.
This lawsuit, and others like it, have created tension within the Biden-Harris campaign, especially as Kamala Harris tries to appeal to moderates in the final weeks of the election. These legal actions are based on the controversial “disparate impact” theory, which assumes that racial disparities in test outcomes are proof of racism, even if no specific racist intent can be shown.
In Durham, North Carolina, the fire department recently settled with the DOJ after similar accusations. The city agreed to pay nearly $1 million to Black candidates who failed its firefighter tests and promised to hire some of them. The DOJ argues that such tests aren’t relevant to actual firefighting. However, sample practice exams include straightforward questions, like determining how many hoses are needed to reach a building 350 feet away, clearly showing the tests have real-world importance.
The DOJ has pushed for similar settlements in Cobb County, Georgia, and with the Maryland State Police. In these cases, local governments have agreed to pay millions in damages to applicants who failed written or physical tests.
While the DOJ insists these lawsuits are about fairness, critics argue that lowering hiring standards in public safety roles could lead to serious consequences. If unqualified individuals are hired, they may struggle to perform crucial tasks, putting lives at risk. This concern isn’t just hypothetical — poorly qualified hires have sometimes led to tragic outcomes, sparking even more accusations of racism when incidents go wrong.
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