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US civil-rights panel blasts Youngstown hiring policies
By DAVID SKOLNICK
YOUNGSTOWN
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is criticizing city officials for refusing to change its policy on hiring firefighters and police officers saying it is “inherently discriminatory” and “appears to violate federal law.”
The city hires firefighters and police officers from two written civil service test lists: one for white men and one for minorities and females.
For several years, the city has hired one minority or female for every two white men for jobs in those departments as long as they pass the test. A passing grade is 70.
Council ignored the advice of Mayor Jay Williams and Law Director Iris Torres Guglucello to change the policy in February and opted to keep the status quo when it hired nine firefighters.
Williams and Guglucello said keeping the policy could result in lawsuits, particularly because a federal appeals court declared unconstitutional use of two lists by Shreveport, La., in 2006.
The refusal by city council to change the policy attracted the attention of the eight-member U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, a federal agency that monitors civil-rights issues.
The commission voted 6-2 Friday to send a letter to Williams and council about the city’s “racially-discriminatory methods in the hiring of police officers and firefighters.”
The Vindicator obtained a copy of the letter, dated Tuesday.
“Youngstown’s dual-list policy is inherently discriminatory and cannot be justified as necessary to conform with federal law,” the letter reads. “Indeed, it appears to violate federal law, and it is unfair and divisive.”
The commission urged the city to rescind the law and adopt policies that would allow all applicants to seek jobs on a fair basis.
The commission suggests Youngstown offer scholarships and training opportunities to allow applicants to better prepare for the civil- service written test.
The letter “articulates nearly verbatim to council the shortcomings of this process and the changes that are needed,” Williams said.
Williams has proposed putting everyone who passes the written test on one list because that would allow the city to pick qualified minorities and women from the list for jobs. Minorities and women do not typically score as high on the written tests as white men, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t qualified, he said.
“While imperfect, our proposal would accomplish the goals of diversity, making sure we have the highest quality of individuals hired and be in compliance with the Constitution,” Williams said.
Council members are mixed on changing the hiring policy.
Councilwoman Annie Gillam, D-1st and chairman of the safety committee, said a commission will be formed shortly to look at the issue. She first publicly mentioned a commission Feb. 3.
“Until then, we’ll keep it as is,” she said. “I think the system is fine [for now]. We don’t have to worry about it for a while” because there are no immediate plans for hires at the police and fire departments.
Councilwoman Carol Rimedio-Righetti, D-4th, supports Gillam’s plan to create a committee.
“The way we pick is an old and antiquated system,” she said. “I don’t think we should have two lists.”
Councilman John R. Swierz, D-7th, wants to review how other cities hire officers and firefighters.