Firefighters To Share $6 million Bias Settlement

75 white Chicago firemen will share a $6 million settlement stemming from the 1986 lieutenants' promotional exam after which the firemen claimed reverse racism was exercised. According to the Sun-Times:

The city had "race normed" the results of the exam out of concern that it discriminated against black firefighters, but a jury found the test was fair. The city appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled on behalf of the white firefighters.

Among the 75 firefighters is John Power, who told U.S. District Judge James Holderman last month that he is owed about $140,000 in back pay because he was not promoted to lieutenant.

"I did my part, studying and doing all the things I should have done," Power said.

"Frankly, this was unfair," Holderman responded.

Still, Linda Friedman, an attorney for the white firefighters, acknowledged that "it's a challenging task for a municipality to balance the need to have an integrated fire department without stepping on the rights of the people to be affected."

This isn't the first settlement related to this particular lawsuit; previously 100 other firefighters, who were ranked higher on the hire list, were awarded a settlement as well.