A group of New Haven firefighters who won a reverse discrimination case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2009 have won a combined $2 million in damages from the city.
The Supreme Court ruled that officials violated white firefighters' civil rights when they threw out 2003 promotion tests results because too few minorities did well. The firefighters returned to U.S. District Court in Connecticut seeking back pay, damages and legal fees.
Court papers indicate 20 firefighters have accepted offers from the city for back pay, additional pension benefits and interest.
The firefighters will receive about $2 million and three years of pension credit and the city will pay their attorneys' fees of about $3 million, according to a written statement from Mayor John DeStefano Jr.'s office.
“In addition to recognizing that this resolution allows the City to move forward, I want to acknowledge the work of the New Haven firefighters who never allowed this debate to affect their performance on the fire grounds, or, with one another. Their service to the people of New Haven and to their units has been and remains, exemplary,” DeStefano said.
Karen Torre, attorney for the firefighters, says the process should be completed in a few days.
