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Justice Department Claims Virginia Beach Police Math Exam Discriminates Against Blacks, Hispanics
wavy.com ^
| 02/09/2006
| ap
Posted on 02/09/2006 5:24:12 AM PST by GOPgirl_VA
A U.S. Justice Department investigation into hiring practices at the Virginia Beach Police Department has concluded that a math exam given to recruits discriminates against blacks and Hispanics.
The math test is one of a handful of separately times and scored components of the National Police Officer Selection Test used to screen and select entry-level officers. The investigation found that between 2002 and 2005, about 85 percent of white applicants passed the math test, while 66 percent of Hispanic applicants and 59 percent of blacks passed.
Virginia Beach demands that applicants score at least 70 percent to pass, which adversely affects blacks and Hispanics, the justice department said in a letter to the city.
"The evidence establishes that Virginia Beach is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against African Americans and Hispanics on the basis of their race and national origin with respect to entry-level police officer positions in its Police Department..." the justice department wrote.
The DOJ told the city it can enter into a consent decree by taking appropriate measures to end the discrimination and providing "sufficient remedial relief" to the applicants who suffered the discrimination.
The city has until March 7 to make the corrective measures or the DOJ will file a complaint, it warned in the letter signed by David J. Palmer, chief of the employment litigation section for the department.
In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, the city said it didn't agree that any discrimination had occurred, but that it would work with the DOJ to examine the math test.
(Excerpt) Read more at wavy.com ...
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: discrimination; leo; math; police; virginia; workplace
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How can a math test discriminate between blacks and whites. The only thing I can figure is that it discriminates between those that can do math and those that can't.
To: GOPgirl_VA
How can a math test discriminate between blacks and whites. Calypso Louie's Million Man Math course explains this discrimination.
2
posted on
02/09/2006 5:28:19 AM PST
by
peyton randolph
(As long is it does me no harm, I don't care if one worships Elmer Fudd.)
To: GOPgirl_VA
This is so crazy that I had to check and see if it was posted by Scrappleface. What a bunch of crap! Math does NOT discriminate. Either an answer is right or it's wrong. But let's just lower the standards and everyone will be happy.
3
posted on
02/09/2006 5:29:31 AM PST
by
mlc9852
To: GOPgirl_VA
70% is a C average. Smack in the middle. If you can't reach the middle of the recruit pool, why would any police department want you? Isn't an average intelligence a basic requirement for most jobs?
4
posted on
02/09/2006 5:29:38 AM PST
by
Pan_Yans Wife
("Death is better, a milder fate than tyranny. "--Aeschylus)
Comment #5 Removed by Moderator
To: Pan_Yans Wife
Isn't an average intelligence a basic requirement for most jobs? Not for government jobs.
6
posted on
02/09/2006 5:31:37 AM PST
by
peyton randolph
(As long is it does me no harm, I don't care if one worships Elmer Fudd.)
To: GOPgirl_VA
How is this an improvement over Janet Reno?
7
posted on
02/09/2006 5:31:45 AM PST
by
montag813
To: GOPgirl_VA
If some of the applicants can't pass the math test, it must be the fault of the test since there couldn't be any differences between the aptitude and educational levels of those taking the test.
We are all the same and any evidence to the contrary will be expunged from the record or else there will be hell to pay.
To: GOPgirl_VA
This can be dealt with easily. They should just pass a law that says everyone gets a 70 on the math test. That way, the selection of police officers will be indiscriminate.
To: GOPgirl_VA
Directions in Spanish and ebonics. Plus you're allowed to take off shoes and socks so you can add to twenty.
10
posted on
02/09/2006 5:33:15 AM PST
by
hershey
To: GOPgirl_VA
America elected Bush. Unfortunately it looks like that had no effect on Justice.
To: GOPgirl_VA
Reminds me of something from a few years ago. I was attending a community college, in a Physics class, which was also being taken by several young ladies in the nursing program. They were complaining one day about Physics being a required course, and the instructor said, "Hey, if you are not smart enough to pass this class, I don't want you giving me medicine in the hospital!"
12
posted on
02/09/2006 5:35:39 AM PST
by
Hegemony Cricket
(Wowsers! Go, go gadget gadget play!)
To: Pan_Yans Wife
Isn't an average intelligence a basic requirement for most jobs?Not in my local PD.
13
posted on
02/09/2006 5:36:09 AM PST
by
mewzilla
(Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
Comment #14 Removed by Moderator
To: GOPgirl_VA
To: GOPgirl_VA
The way property values have soared in Va. Beach, I would think that it would be harder to rent or buy a home than to pass the exam.
16
posted on
02/09/2006 5:37:45 AM PST
by
Coldwater Creek
("Over there, over there, We won't be back 'til it's over Over there.")
To: GOPgirl_VA
The same type of thing happened here in Detroit. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra was accused of racism, because there weren't "enough" blacks in the orchestra.
The auditions for the orchestra are conducted (pun) with the applicant playing behind a curtain where they can't be seen by the panel! The panel cannot tell if the applicant is a man, woman, black, white, Tibetan or Aleut. But somehow the process was determined to be racist just because not enough blacks made the grade.
How insane can this possible get?
17
posted on
02/09/2006 5:37:53 AM PST
by
Tokra
(I think I'll retire to Bedlam.)
To: GOPgirl_VA
"The evidence establishes that Virginia Beach is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against African Americans and Hispanics on the basis of their race and national origin with respect to entry-level police officer positions in its Police Department..." the justice department wrote.
OK, lets pretend this is true...what makes it a federal case? Federal law? Federal laws must ordained by some delegated empowerment given to Congress by the US Constitution. In 1871 Ohio had segergated schools challened under the 14th Amendment equal protection clause and it was held the the 14th had no jurisdiction over such matters. The author of the 14th called the ruling to deny the 14th gave Congress any such jurisdiction over State matters as "just and proper." So the qustion is then, where does this power come from to make this federal law?
18
posted on
02/09/2006 5:38:52 AM PST
by
AZRepublican
("The degree in which a measure is necessary can never be a test of the legal right to adopt it.")
Comment #19 Removed by Moderator
To: montag813
How is George Bush responsible for the police exam in Va. Beach? That is the problem of Mayor Myra.
20
posted on
02/09/2006 5:40:14 AM PST
by
Coldwater Creek
("Over there, over there, We won't be back 'til it's over Over there.")
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