Baltimore County's police and fire departments are being investigated for possible discriminatory hiring practices.
The county was notified of the investigation Jan. 30 in a two-page letter from the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division that was obtained by Patch.
County Executive Kevin Kamenetz apparently acknowledged receiving the letter in a 10-page letter to Rep. Elijah Cummings, according to the Baltimore Sun, which first reported the probe.
In the letter, Kamenetz "acknowledged that women and minorities have been "underrepresented" in the fire department and in some sections of the police department," The Sun reported.
Don Mohler, a county spokesman and Kamenetz's chief of staff, declined to release the letter to Cummings referenced in the newspaper report.
"At the present time, the Department desires more information regarding the hiring of African-Americans in the protective services positions within the Baltimore County Police Department and Baltimore County Fire Department so that we may fully evaluate whether or not the County is in violation of" Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, reads a Jan. 30, 2012 letter signed by Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general.
"Title VII prohibits an employer from discriminating against an individual on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin," Perez's letter states.
The investigation of county government is the latest by the Department of Justice. Currently, the county is in negotiations with the department on violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act involving 13 county employees.
More than a dozen other complaints filed since last summer are reportedly under investigation by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Last month, the county settled a lawsuit with a police department applicant who sued, claiming he was rejected because he had diabetes. The county settled that suit for $95,000.
In August, the county lost an appeal in federal court and was ordered to pay Detective William Blake $225,000 plus interest for the April 2010 jury decision. The county ultimately will be responsible for paying legal fees, which currently total nearly $600,000, to Kathleen Cahill, Blake's Towson-based lawyer. A petition is pending on the final award of the legal fees.
"It seems only the federal government will make this county obey the law," said Cahill.
"It is astounding to see a government behave like this in the year 2012. They apparently believe they are above the law," Cahill continued. "[The county's] blatant violations of the ADA have persisted for years, unabated. They have even broadened their scheme after the Department of Justice advised them that they were violating the law."
In the meantine, your community and your people are getting destroyed. Those who do well in professional positions are called Oreos. You simply cannot get employed with your drawers down and your underpants showing and your shoes untied. That is both a black and white problem. If you would ask people who have done well in society to help and tell them to be brutally honest about helping you, you will have a chance. But the problem is any type of critical comments immediately bring out the race or bigot card. So why bother. You have to want to help yourself before anyone can help you. They are too worried about get their hands on the next pair of Air Jordans instead of obtaining skills that will help them own the company that sells Air Jordans.
Your off topic!!! Your off topic!!!
you stated "they will pay with thier pockets. justice served!" where do you think that mony comes from ? you and me
" Middle River man became the latest Baltimore City police officer to admit his role in an illegal towing scheme involving a Rosedale auto shop. Kelvin Quade Manrich, 42, of Middle River, pleaded guilty last week to conspiracy and extortion charges after five days of trial in federal court, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland. This came at the same time as a federal jury convicted another city officer, Samuel Ocasio, age 36, of Edgewood, of similar charges that the owners of Majestic Auto Repair paid him, Manrich and other Baltimore City police officers to arrange for their company, rather than a city-authorized business, to tow vehicles from " "
The reason is money talks and the rest walk. When there is big money on the line you want the best, i.e. Rice, Woods, Ruth, Jordan and the rest of the Hall of Famers. Just look at the ladies golf tour the LPGA. Most of the dominant players are from across the ocean. As they say the wide, wide, world of sports.
why are there a disproportionate number of white sports casters in the NBA?
If challenged on that issue alone, you might find a case of reverse discrimination. I always refer to the the wide world of sports where no matter who you are the bottom line is winning and not race. http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/indianapolis-colts-to-release-peyton-manning-030612
14 New Haven firefighters won the discrimination law suit. (WHITE GUYS)
Look at the problems in the city. Read the mayor's remarks on the officer just suspended over hiding the weapon issue. http://www.adversity.net/0_PoliceFireMuni/PFM_frame.htm I always draw parallels to the wide,wide world of sports.
Crazy World!