Firefighter Tests Found Racially Biased

The case had been brought as a class-action suit by four firefighters in Lynn. The Boston Society of the Vulcans, and African American firefighters organization, intervened on behalf of the Lynn plaintiffs. The plaintiffs were given 30 days to propose a remedy, with Lynn then having 30 days to respond. The ruling is expected to lead to hiring of excluded minorities in a number of cities. The state had defended the test and is reviewing the decision. Well under 10% of recent hires in Boston and Lynn were racial minorities, though minorities constitute far larger shares of the population.