This really angers me!!!!

[KenP]

This is about a MATH TEST the Justice Department says is discriminatory! A freaking MATH TEST!!! Now you don't have to be so bright. When I took the Math portion about 9 years ago I missed only 6 questions out of over 100 and was the first one finished. I swear the questions only went to 4th grade.

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories...502&ran=157902

Beach police agree to drop cutoff score on math test

By DUANE BOURNE, The Virginian-Pilot
© April 4, 2006

VIRGINIA BEACH — The city has reached a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department to resolve allegations that it discriminated against black and Hispanic police recruits.

Under a consent decree filed Monday in federal court in Norfolk, the city will change the way it scores the police entrance exam.

The Justice Department had complained that the math portion of the exam had an adverse effect on minority applicants and unfairly excluded them from being hired.

The city will offer to let 124 black and Hispanic former applicants resume the hiring process. Those recruits failed the math test between 2002 and 2005 but would have passed under the new standards.

The city also will create a $160,000 fund to compensate those applicants....

From 2002 to mid-2005, about 85 percent of white applicants passed the math exam, compared with 59 percent of blacks and 66 percent of Hispanics.

Under the old standard, Virginia Beach required all recruits to score 70 percent on each of three written tests for reading comprehension, grammar and spelling, and math...

Background:

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories...9291&ran=84449

Feds say Beach's math exam for police recruits is discriminatory

By DUANE BOURNE, The Virginian-Pilot
© February 9, 2006

VIRGINIA BEACH — The U.S. Justice Department has found that the math portion of the Virginia Beach Police Department’s entrance exam discriminates against black and Hispanic applicants.

In a letter to the city released Wednesday, the Justice Department said its findings were based on results of a math test administered to all entry-level police officers.

The Justice Department said it will sue the city if Virginia Beach does not take appropriate measures to end discrimination and provide “sufficient remedial relief” to previous job applicants.

On Wednesday, city officials said they do not discriminate and the math portion of the exam assesses job-related skills.