A federal lawsuit has been filed and is seeking class action status against the city and its fire department alleging racial discrimination against African American applicants. The lawsuit was filed in the US Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Sherman on behalf of black applicants who were denied employment with the department.
According to city records, there is not a single black firefighter, but there are 148 white firefighters working for the department.
The lawsuit claims the hiring system is implemented by the fire chief exercising undue authority to make biased and inconsistent determinations. The suit claims the practice represents a pattern of discrimination against blacks.
