Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Race Discrimination Against Job Applicants...

Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Race Discrimination Against Job
Applicants by City of Gary, Ind.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Justice
announced today the filing of a lawsuit against the city of Gary, Ind.,
alleging job discrimination against six individuals on the basis of their
race, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (as amended).

The Department's complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern
District of Indiana, alleges that the six individuals applied for emergency
medical technician (EMT) positions with the city and were subsequently placed
on a hiring list that stated that offers of employment would be based on the
rank order of the individuals listed. The complaint further alleges that the
city failed to offer EMT positions to any of the six individuals, all of whom
are white, while offering EMT positions to several other individuals, all of
whom are African-American, and that each of these six complainants ranked
higher than the lowest-ranked applicant to receive a job offer.

"Federal law guarantees equal access to employment opportunities without
regard to race," said Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General
for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "The Department is
committed to enforcing all the federal civil rights laws, including Title VII,
under its jurisdiction."

Title VII prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of sex, race,
color, national origin or religion, and prohibits retaliation against an
employee who opposes an unlawful employment practice, or because the employee
has made a charge or participated in an investigation, proceeding or hearing
under the act.

The continued enforcement of Title VII has been a priority of the Department
of Justice's Civil Rights Division. More information is available at
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/emp/index.html.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs, +1-202-514-2007, TDD,
+1-202-514-1888