Class-Action Lawsuit Alleging Employment Discrimination Ends Favorably for City of Buffalo

Hodgson Russ successfully defended the City of Buffalo's use of employment promotional exams against two federal putative class-action challenges by a group of African-American firefighters. After a bench trial, the district court ruled that the examinations were valid, non-discriminatory selection devices that were job related and consistent with business necessity, even though they statistically favored non-minority candidates. A Hodgson Russ attorney successfully briefed and argued the appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which affirmed the district court’s ruling.