(The Center Square) – Federal litigation against a North Carolina city known for its liberal leaning has been dismissed by the administration of Republican second-term President Donald Trump.
A 10-page complaint, United States of America v City of Durham, filed Oct. 7 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, said the Durham Fire Department violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. At issue was a written test to hire entry-level firefighters, a Department of Justice release says.
The complaint, led by former Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division, said that the test disqualified more Black applicants than others, was not job-related, and inconsistent with business necessity. The dismissal ends the quest for a consent decree from the court that would have changed the test; required Durham to hire 16 with retroactive seniority and hiring bonuses in lieu of pension credits; and provide a $980,000 settlement distributed to Black applicants disqualified by the challenged test.
A statement from the White House released Thursday said, “President Donald J. Trump declared an end to lower standards in the name of discriminatory ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ initiatives – and the Trump administration continues to make good on that commitment to prioritize merit, not divisive race-based obsessions in hiring.”
In a statement released by Attorney General Pam Bondi, she said, “American communities deserve firefighters and police officers to be chosen for their skill and dedication to public safety – not to meet DEI quotas.”
The complaint noted the written test in question had been used “since at least 2015.” The test was multiple choice format, with 15 reading questions, 20 math questions, 20 writing questions, 15 map reading questions and 30 questions on competency and human relations.
There was an additional section from 2015-17.
Failure to get a passing grade (70%) there fell short of the interview process.
Other cases announced as dismissed involved the Maryland State Police, Cobb County in Georgia, and the South Bend Police Department in Indiana.
