Which case addressed discriminatory effects of police hiring examinations on minority applicants?

• A. Guardians Association v. Civil Service Commission
• B. in-service training
• C. job relatedness
• D. Law Enforcement Education Program

Answer: (A)

Disparate impact in police hiring tests requires that a test be validated as job-related and necessary for the position. Guardians Association v. Civil Service Commission directly tackles this by ruling on a police promotional exam that disproportionately affected minority applicants. The Supreme Court held that even though the exam was neutrally worded, its results created a discriminatory effect in violation of civil rights laws unless the issuing agency could prove the test was job-related and consistent with business necessity, or until it offered a less discriminatory alternative that would still serve the job’s needs. This decision anchors the obligation for police departments to validate hiring and promotion tests and to seek methods that avoid unfairly harming minority candidates.

Other options don’t address this legal issue head-on. They refer to training or programs rather than a landmark case about testing and discrimination in police hiring.