U.S. Department
of Justice
United States v. Durham Fire Department (M.D.N.C.)
On October 7, 2024, the United States filed a complaint in United States v. City of Durham, North Carolina (M.D.N.C.). The complaint alleged that the City of Durham, through the Durham Fire Department (DFD), violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). The lawsuit alleged that DFD violated Title VII when it used a certain written test to hire entry-level firefighters, because the test disqualified more African-American applicants than others and was not job-related or consistent with business necessity. On October 7, 2024, the Parties jointly filed a proposed consent decree to resolve the case. If approved by the Court, the decree will require Durham to adopt a Title-VII-compliant test in place of the challenged test; make 16 priority hires, with retroactive seniority and hiring bonuses in lieu of pension credits; and provide a $980,000.00 settlement fund to be distributed to African-American applicants who were disqualified by the challenged test.