Jury Awards $3.7M in California Firefighter Lawsuit

October 30, 2013

A jury has awarded more than a dozen firefighters a total of $3.7 million in a case where the San Francisco Fire Department was accused of age discrimination.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports jurors voted 9-3 Monday in favor of the 15 firefighters, three of whom have retired. The lawsuit claimed the city arbitrarily altered dozens of scores for a promotional exam and shredded scoring records before firefighters could legally challenge the results.

The firefighters also believe the exam process was skewed against those who were over the age of 40.

The city had no immediate response to the verdict.

Questions surrounding the department’s promotional exams have dogged the city since 2008, prompting a string of unresolved lawsuits.