Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
1401 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20005

For Immediate Release
Contacts:
Kim Alton
(202) 662-8600
September 20, 2006

Providence NAACP Files EEOC Charge Alleging Cranston, R.I. Fire and Police Departments Discriminate Against Minorities and Women

(Providence, RI) - Today, the NAACP, Providence Branch filed a discrimination complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against the city of Cranston, Rhode Island, for the city's failure to hire minority and female firefighters and police officers.

The complaint alleges that the Cranston Fire and Police Departments have engaged in a pattern and practice of discrimination resulting in women and minorities being severely under-represented in both Departments. Although the Providence metropolitan area, which includes the city of Cranston, has a minority population of over 50%, the Police Department employs few minority and female officers, and nearly all of the city's firefighters are white males.

“This has been a long-standing problem,” said Clifford Montiero of the NAACP, Providence Branch. “The workforces of the Cranston Police and Fire Departments do not reflect the diversity of the community.”

The city's selection process disproportionately screens out qualified minorities and women. The city relies on questionable eligibility criteria, including physical and written tests that have not been validated in accordance with EEOC Guidelines. Furthermore, the Fire Department required candidates to pay the nearly $1,000 cost of obtaining an Emergency Medical Technician certification just to be considered for employment.

To the city's credit, Mayor Stephen Laffey and other city officials have recognized the problem and are interested in making changes to the hiring process and increasing the numbers of minorities and women in the Cranston Police and Fire Departments. The city has indicated a willingness to work with the NAACP to resolve this complaint as soon as possible.

“We are pleased that the city recognizes there is a problem and is willing to sit down with us to resolve it,” said Clifford Montiero. “We are very hopeful that there will soon be increased opportunities for minorities and women to become firefighters and police officers in Cranston.”

The NAACP, Providence Branch is represented in the case by the National and Boston offices of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The Lawyers' Committee is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights legal organization, formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to provide legal services to address racial discrimination. Attorneys Nadine Cohen of the Boston Lawyers' Committee and Sarah Crawford of the National Lawyers' Committee are representing the NAACP, Providence Branch in cooperation with National Office of the NAACP.


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