Ricci v. DeStefano

The lawsuit, Ricci v. DeStefano, was filed in 2004 by one Latino and 19 white firefighters who claimed that they were denied promotion on account of their race. The case began in 2003, when the city administered a civil service exam for the promotion of firefighters to the ranks of lieutenant and captain. When white firefighters received the highest scores on the test, the city decided to throw out the results, saying that the exam displayed a racial bias.

The so-called “New Haven 20” filed suit, claiming that the city’s decision amounted to race discrimination against white firefighters who should have been promoted. Nineteen of the 20 are white; one is Hispanic.

Now that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear it, the case has the potential to steer the course of the country’s civil rights history. (more).