Supreme Court Decides New Haven Employment Case

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In a case that will have both practical and political reverberations, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against the City of New Haven Connecticut in a reverse discrimination suit. The case, known commonly as “New Haven Firefighters,” has political impact as well, due to the fact that Supreme Court nominee, Judge Sonya Sotomayor, participated in the appeals court ruling that has now been overturned by the Court. What does the ruling potentially mean for you, your business or organization?

Well, the New York Times reports that:

The ruling could alter employment practices nationwide, potentially limiting the circumstances in which employers can be held liable for decisions when there is no evidence of intentional discrimination against minorities.

The fact that this was a 5-4 decision indicates that even at the highest level, judges remain split on the application of employment law to the facts raised by the New Haven case. In particular, the case asked whether the city of New Haven Connecticut erred in throwing out the results of a promotion examination because minority test takers were unlikely to receive promotions based on the results of the exam.

Writing for the majority, Justice Kennedy states:

“Fear of litigation alone cannot justify an employer’s reliance on race to the detriment of individuals who passed the examinations and qualified for promotions,”

Kennedy was joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Scalia, Alito and Thomas.

The dissenting Justices were Ginsburg, Souter, Bryer and Stevens:

In dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said the white firefighters “understandably attract this court’s sympathy. But they had no vested right to promotion. Nor have other persons received promotions in preference to them.”

Undoubtedly, labor and employment lawyers will be busy crafting new rules for employers to follow in employment testing situations. Employers will be wise to review their employment practices for compliance with the New Haven ruling and to consult with an employment lawyer to understand the issues raised by the case in application to their own organization’s practices and policies.