Judge: City must mail notices to black firefighters

  

October 3, 2011 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- A judge ordered the city of Chicago to send a second notice to African Americans involved in a class action lawsuit against the Chicago Fire Department. The notices will go out to those who have not returned interest cards as of 9/30/11.

Earlier this year, a federal appeals court ruled that Chicago must hire 111 African Americans who passed the city's 1995 firefighter entrance exam.

According to the order, those who receive the notices will have until October 17, 2011 to return interest cards. On October 21, the city will randomly select 750 candidates from those who return cards and mail out invitation for the physical test. They will then be screened for the 111 firefighter jobs ordered by the court.

1995 Chicago Firefighter Examination Class Action Website

The discrimination class action suit was filed after the Chicago Fire Department hired only people who scored 89 or higher, the majority of those were white.

The courts ordered not just the hiring of 111 African Americans, but also an estimated $30 million to thousands of other applicants who passed the test.

The CFD now grades the exam with only pass or fail.

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