Five years ago, 20 New Haven firefighters filed a lawsuit against the city in what they called a case of reverse discrimination.
Cut to this past January: The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. According to a Newsweek analysis, that decision could have a huge impact on the Obama administration.
The 19 white and one Latino firefighter claimed they were refused promotion on account of their race. The 20 firefighters got high scores, but then the city of New Haven scrapped the test and promoted no one rather give them the jobs over black candidates who earned lower scores. The city claimed voiding the test was legit.
In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs claimed that the city of New Haven, Mayor John DeStefano and other defendants had violated their rights under the Constitution’s equal protection clause and under federal civil-rights laws.
So why would this Connecticut case cause conflict for President Obama? Newsweek is reporting that the President could come under great pressure to take a position either "for" or "against" the blessing conferred by eight liberal lower-court judges on what many voters would see as a "raw racial quota".
In the past the City of New Haven has said it remains confident in its case and looks forward to presenting its argument to the Justices.
