On September 25, 2017, three retired African-American detectives from the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) Intelligence Division brought this putative class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The case was assigned to Judge Gregory H. Woods. The plaintiffs sued the City of New York under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, as well as state and local anti-discrimination laws (N.Y. Executive Law §§ 290 and N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 8-101). The plaintiffs, represented by the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and private counsel, alleged that the NYPD delayed or denied the promotion of African-American detectives in the Intelligence Division in favor of white detectives, solely on the basis of race. The plaintiffs sought damages, declaratory relief, and injunctive relief.

As part of their complaint, the plaintiffs sought class certification for a class consisting of all African-American detectives of the NYPD Intelligence Division who, as of December 14, 2008 or later, were not promoted or whose promotions were delayed based on race.

On December 3, the case was automatically referred to mediation, as all counseled Southern District of New York employment discrimination cases (except those brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938) are referred to mediation. Three days later, the plaintiffs requested that the case be exempted from mediation, and the court exempted it.

This case is ongoing, and the parties are currently in discovery. Discovery is expected to close in December 2018.

Rebecca Strauss - 05/29/2018


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