NCJ Number
114838
Journal
Labor Law Journal Volume: 39 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1988) Pages: 634-636
Date Published
1988
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The use of psychological testing to screen out black police recruits who are low-risk applicants without a high risk for inappropriate or harmful behavior can place a police agency at high risk for civil rights suits.
Abstract
Two Federal court cases highlight the use of psychological testing to discriminate against protected groups on the basis of race: League of United Latin American Citizens v. City of Santa Ana and Grizzell v. Jackson Police Department. In 'League' the California short-form test of mental maturity was disallowed. The court found that the test was not job-related and had a discriminatory impact on Mexican Americans. In 'Grizzell' the court ruled that the Jackson Police Department could no longer rely exclusively on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory for psychological evaluation and that no one will be denied employment as a sworn police officer or refused promotion on the basis of this test. The court's decision reflects a rule in the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection (UGES) which states that the entire selection process must be taken into account before an applicant is screened out by a single test. The UGES 80-percent rule holds that a scored test has adverse impact if the 'selection rate for any race, sex or ethnic group is less than four-fifths of the rate for groups with the highest rate.' Psychology tests should only be used by police agencies to screen out police recruits who are emotionally unstable, brutal, or have some form of emotional illness supported by recommended medical treatment. 11 footnotes.