City of Detroit Wins District Court Approval for Affirmative Action Plan for Police Department

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October 2, 1979

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Press Releases, Volume 7. City of Detroit Wins District Court Approval for Affirmative Action Plan for Police Department, 1979. a6397eb3-bb92-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/da1c5654-5f9d-435c-9157-de3eba363a51/city-of-detroit-wins-district-court-approval-for-affirmative-action-plan-for-police-department. Accessed August 19, 2025.

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NEWS FROM § 32-9400

NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND

10 Columbus Circle, NYC 10019 (212) 586-8397

For immediate release For further information:
Tuesday, October 2, 1979 Peter Sherwood, Lowell Johnston or

Napoleon Williams

(212) 586-8397

LEGAL DEFENSE FUND WINS KEY AFFIRMATIVE ACTION VICTORY

City of Detroit Wins District Court Approval
for Affirmative Action Plan for Police Department

The affirmative action plan adopted by Detroit Mayor Coleman Young

to increase the number of blacks holding the rank of lieutenant in the City's

Police Department was judged "reasonable," "appropriate" and "fair" overall

by U. S. Circuit Judge Damon J. Keith sitting in the U. S. District Court for
on _handed_down yesterday afternoon in Detro

the Eastern District of Michigan, LDF represented the City in the so-called

Ay yuat
lieutenants' case which was tried in Detroit rom peptone 1978 to January

1979. The case was one of two brought by the white-dominated Detroit Police

Viton
decicerf-neweravith charging that the Mayor's plan constituted "reverse

discrimination.”

The Court disagreed saying that the plan must be viewed not as deprivation

of white police officers but as a benefit for blacks who were victims of ee

puovern discrimination by the Police Department. The October lst decision calls

for’the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners to review atSae oink - which

tad been halted as a result of the challenge - and to establish an end goal either

by fixing percentages or setting a time frame for completion. The Court will

review the Board's proposal for reasonableness. Ws

Prior to LDF's involvement, the other case, known as the sergeants" case, was

lost by the city in trial court. LDF represented the City on the appeal which was

deeiston
argued on June 12th and is pending,betore the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

-—-d-—

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City of Detroit Wins District Court Approval for Affirmative Action Plan for Police Department

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