Court to decide if firefighter suit moves forward

Court to decide if firefighter suit moves forward

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court seems willing to let a group of African American applicants sue the city of Chicago for discrimination for using test scores to decide who would become a firefighter trainee. People who scored under 65 on the Chicago test were deemed unqualified. But the city only hired firefighter trainees who scored 89 and above. The issue before the court Monday was whether the Chicago applicants waited too long to sue. People are supposed to sue within 300 days after an employment action they wish to challenge as unlawful. The city says the clock started when it announced use of the test scores in 1996. But the applicants say a new act of discrimination happened each time the scores were used. _Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed._