CDR: why cops act that way
A. Melon
juicy at melontraffickers.com
Fri Sep 8 11:00:28 PDT 2000
Sep 8, 2000 - 09:55 AM
Man Who Scored Too High on Police
Test Loses Federal Appeal
The Associated Press
NEW LONDON, Conn. (AP) - A man whose bid to become a
police officer was rejected after he scored too high on an
intelligence test has lost an appeal in his federal lawsuit
against the city.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York upheld a
lower courts decision that the city did not discriminate
against Robert Jordan because the same standards were
applied to everyone who took the test.
"This kind of puts an official face on discrimination in America
against people of a certain class," Jordan said from his
Waterford home Friday. "I maintain you have no more control
over your basic intelligence than your eye color or your
gender or anything else."
He said he does not plan to take any further legal action.
Jordan, a 49-year-old college graduate, took the exam in
1996 and scored 33 points, the equivalent of an IQ of 125.
But New London police interviewed only candidates who
scored 20 to 27, on the theory that those who scored too
high could get bored with police work and leave soon after
undergoing costly training.
The average score nationally for police officers is 21 to 22,
the equivalent of an IQ of 104, or just a little above average.
Jordan alleged his rejection from the police force was
discrimination. He sued the city, saying his civil rights were
violated because he was denied equal protection under the
law.
But the U.S. District Court found that New London had
"shown a rational basis for the policy." In a ruling dated Aug.
23, the 2nd Circuit agreed. The court said the policy might
be unwise but was a rational way to reduce job turnover.
Jordan has worked as a prison guard since he took the test.
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGI20J2XVCC.html
More information about the Testlist
mailing list