The United States Department of Justice threatened to sue the City of Lubbock for its hiring practices at the Lubbock Police Department.
A letter from the DOJ to the city on Monday said, “Based on the information gathered during our investigation, we have determined that the City is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against Hispanics and women.”
The DOJ complained about the city’s 65-question written test for mathematics, reading comprehension, and grammar.
The letter said, “Since 2009, approximately 88% of white applicants have passed the written exam, while only approximately 68% of Hispanic applicants have passed.”
The letter also said, “2009, approximately 81% of male applicants have passed the physical fitness test, while only approximately 37% of female applicants have passed.”
The DOJ believes that more women and Hispanics would have been hired were it not for the tests “without gaining the ability to distinguish between qualified and unqualified candidates.”
The DOJ said, “During our investigation, the City offered no evidence supporting a conclusion that either the written exam or the physical fitness test actually measured the knowledge, skills, and abilities it intended to measure”
The city was told to reach an agreement or else face a lawsuit no later than August 3.
Among the demands made by the DOJ: “[Provide] ‘make whole’ relief to those Hispanic and female applicants for appointment to probationary police officer positions who have been harmed or will be harmed by the City’s unlawful use of its written examination and/or physical fitness test from 2009 through the present.”
The letter does not define what that relief would mean, but very often in lawsuits the word “relief” means money.