City weighs action in minority-hiring suit

BLADE STAFF

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Toledo City Council is considering spending up to $50,000 to hire the Spengler Nathanson PLL law firm to defend the city against a lawsuit filed in federal court July 15 by Advocates for Basic Legal Equality Inc. contending Toledo has not met requirements for recruiting minorities as firefighters.

The case originated in the mid-1970s and pertains to recruitment and selection of Toledo firefighters. ABLE is asking the U.S. District Court to enforce the decades-old court order and stop the city from hiring a new class of firefighters this year.

Councilman D. Michael Collins, chairman of council's law and criminal justice committee, said the city has exceeded its minority hiring standards.

Mr. Collins said the city must hire by using a civil service list or a new class will not be hired until 2012. That delay would cost the city about $10 million in overtime because of retirements.

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