http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/...
Frank Ricci, the firefighter who took his reverse discrimination case to the Supreme Court after Sonia Sotomayor ruled against him, originally got his job by claiming discrimination re: the Americans with Disabilities Act.
So back in 1995, Ricci, who will now be testifying against Sotomayor, originally got his firefighting job by claiming he was discriminated against because of his dyslexia. The department was looking for 40 firefighters and got almost 800 applicants; many of whom were qualified. So Ricci sued and after 2 years was awarded his legal fees of $11K and given a job.
The lawsuit, filed recently in federal court, could shed light on the selection process used by the city, which has been beset with criticism over politics and nepotism.
Frank Ricci charges in the lawsuit that the city violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.
Ricci, a Wallingford native who now lives in Maryland, was one of 795 candidates who were interviewed for 40 openings. Ricci told interviewers that he has a learning disability, the lawsuit says.
Fire commissioners have said that although Ricci was qualified, many others also were qualified because they passed the Civil Service examination.
I guess if the first case had gone to the Apellate Court, he would have loved Sotomayor but since it didn't, he's free to disparage her since the second lawsuit he filed did. If I was a small-minded person, it might look to me like the only way Ricci could get a job would be to sue for it and play both sides against the middle.
Disclaimer: I fully support the Americans with Disabilities Act but it does seem a bit strange that this one individual is both discriminated against, then reverse-discriminated against, in his short career as a firefighter.