Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to Which Way, L.A.?

    Which Way, L.A.?

    The US Supreme Court and Reverse Discrimination

    In 2003, New Haven, Connecticut said it would promote firefighters based on a written and oral exam.  But when the results were in, no blacks and only two Hispanics scored well enough to become lieutenants or captains.  New Haven then scrapped the promotion exam.

    • rss
    • Share
    By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

    In 2003, New Haven, Connecticut said it would promote firefighters based on a written and oral exam. But when the results were in, no blacks and only two Hispanics scored well enough to become lieutenants or captains. New Haven then scrapped the promotion exam. White firefighter Frank Ricci, who did well on the test, sued for reverse discrimination. Today, the US Supreme Court ruled in his favor.

    The full episode

    1 of 3
    State Budget Impasse and Its Impact on the Sick, Elderly
    1. 0:00The US Supreme Court and Reverse DiscriminationYou’re reading this
    2. 26:49State Budget Impasse and Its Impact on the Sick, Elderly
    3. 45:02Obama Reaches Out to Gay Rights Activists on Stonewall Anniversary
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Frances Anderton

      architecture critic and author

    • KCRW placeholder

      Christian Bordal

      Managing Producer, Greater LA

    • KCRW placeholder

      Dahlia Lithwick

      Author; Senior legal affairs correspondent, Slate; podcast host, Amicus podcast

    • KCRW placeholder

      Richard Thompson Ford

      Stanford Law School

    • KCRW placeholder

      Ramesh Ponnuru

      National Review / American Enterprise Institute

      News

    The full episode

    1 of 3
    State Budget Impasse and Its Impact on the Sick, Elderly
    1. 0:00The US Supreme Court and Reverse DiscriminationYou’re reading this
    2. 26:49State Budget Impasse and Its Impact on the Sick, Elderly
    3. 45:02Obama Reaches Out to Gay Rights Activists on Stonewall Anniversary
    Back to Which Way, L.A.?