FDNY Commissioner To Testify On Minority Hiring
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York's fire commissioner will be called to testify before a judge deciding whether a special prosecutor should be appointed to oversee the recruitment of more minorities to the FDNY.
Brooklyn federal Judge Nicholas Garaufis made the ruling Thursday.
The judge heard testimony this week from fire officials that suggested there was cheating on the last written exam.
Lawyers representing a black fraternal organization called the Vulcan Society say a special monitor is needed to ensure discriminatory hiring practices don't continue.
On Monday, Garaufis also heard testimony that black candidates with minor arrest records tended to be cut while white applicants with records were allowed on the job.
Last year, Garaufis ordered a hiring freeze after he found that the city's firefighter entrance exam discriminated against minorities after the Justice Department sued on their behalf in 2007.
Garaufis reportedly ordered Commissioner Salvatore Cassano to testify next week.
The fire commissioner has been visiting black churches recently to speak about the benefits of working for the department. It's part of a continuing effort to focus recruitment in the city's minority areas.
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