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Guardians Association v. Civil Service Commission of the City of New York

463 U.S. 582, 103 S. Ct. 3221, 77 L. Ed. 2d 866 (1983)

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Guardians Association v. Civil Service Commission of the City of New York

United States Supreme Court
463 U.S. 582, 103 S. Ct. 3221, 77 L. Ed. 2d 866 (1983)

Facts

The Civil Service Commission of the City of New York (commission) (defendant), a recipient of federal funds, used an employment test to screen applicants for police-department jobs. Although the test was facially neutral, it disproportionately excluded Black and Hispanic job applicants. Minority job applicants (applicants) (plaintiffs) who had been excluded from consideration for police-department jobs due to the test sued the commission. The applicants alleged that the commission’s use of the test had violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and they requested compensatory damages in the form of the lost wages they would have been paid if they had been hired. The district court held for the applicants. The court of appeals reversed, reasoning that a valid Title VI claim requires proof of intentional rather than unintentional discrimination.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (White, J.)

Dissent (Marshall, J.)

Dissent (Stevens, J.)

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