Case: Ricci v. DeStefano. A group of New Haven, CT firefighters who were tested for evaluation for promotions, and scored higher than minorities who took the same test, initiated a lawsuit in 2003 when the City of New Haven threw out the test results, fearing a lawsuit by the minority firefighters. The plaintiffs alleged reverse discrimination had occurred, and the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision agreed with them, overturning a previous 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals decision.
Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote, "Fear of litigation alone cannot justify the City's reliance on race to the detriment of individuals who passed the examinations and qualified for promotions."
