In a lawsuit filed yesterday, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice sued the Boston Police Department (BPD), Commissioner William Evans, and the City of Boston, seeking public records that are critical to ascertaining the racial impact of BPD’s employment practices. The lawsuit, brought in partnership with Birnbaum & Godkin, LLP, stems from
Diversity in police ranks is a key component of community representation and accountability. Yet, the Boston Police Department (“BPD”) continues to use a drug testing modality that is scientifically unreliable and racially discriminatory. The Banner featured LCCR’s ongoing work on behalf of African American officers challenging BPD’s policies. In connection with this important case, check out LCCR’s “hair
The coalition of 17 organizations, including the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice, sent a letter to the leadership of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee urging them to follow established protocols for developing drug testing procedures and to exclude any provisions for hair specimen testing from any surface transportation bill. Read more
District Court Judge Judith Fabricant upheld the Civil Service Commission decision that the hair drug test used by the Boston Police Department to screen for substance abuse is too unreliable to be the sole basis for terminating tenured civil servants. Judge Fabricant ordered reinstatement of six former police officers with full back pay and benefits.
Jones et al. v. City of Boston et al. Under state and federal constitutions and civil rights statutes, ten African-American former police officers challenged a flawed and unreliable hair drug test, administered annually to all sworn personnel. On September 28, 2012, the U.S. District Court granted summary judgment to the Defendants in all claims.
