In April 1997, 68 white and Hispanic applicants to the Nassau County Police Department filed a lawsuit under Equal Protection Clause, Title VII, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2(1), and New York state law against the defendants Nassau County, its Police Department, and its Civil Service Commission in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The plaintiffs asked the court for damages and equitable relief, claiming that the 1994 Nassau County police officer's examination (which was developed by the Technical Design and Advisory Committee, and authorized to use by the district court) was intended to solely or primarily benefit one racial group (black) to the detriment of other racial or ethnic groups.

On March 20, 1998, the district court dismissed all of the plaintiffs' claims for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.

Plaintiffs filed a timely notice of appeal on April 24, 1998. On June 9, 1999, the 2nd Circuit affirmed the district court's decision, holding that although the exam certainly took race into account, the exam was administered and scored in a wholly race-neutral fashion.

Kunyi Zhang - 08/28/2010


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