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After SCOTUS Ruling, Firefighters Want Promotions

After winning an historic reverse discrimination lawsuit, some of the New Haven 20 want their promotions.

By Kristie Borges

| Monday, Nov 16, 2009 | Updated 6:15 PM EST

After SCOTUS Ruling, Firefighters Want Promotions

In this photo taken Jan. 9, New Haven firefighters dubbed "the New Haven 20" applaud a supporter (not pictured) who joins them in support outside New Haven Federal Courthouse.

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Some of the "New Haven 20", the group of firefighters who filed an landmark reverse discrimination suit that landed in the laps of the Supreme Court Justices, are petitioning to get their promotions after all.

The firefighters, though their attorney, filed papers in U.S. District Court Friday asking that lead plaintiff, Frank Ricci and seven others be promoted to lieutenant. They also seek promotions to captain for six lieutenants.

Here's the back-story: In 2003, the city of New Haven threw out results of a promotional exam for lieutenants and captains, when too few minorities did well. That’s when the group of 19 white firefighters and one Hispanic filed suit.

The U.S. District Court threw out the lawsuit in 2006, and a three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the decision. That panel included future Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor. The case became an issue in confirmation hearings for Sotomayor, with firefighter Frank Ricci testifying during the hearings.

Not happy with the decision, the firefighters took their case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The court ruled in the firefighters favor in June.