Federal Court Ends 1978 Mandate, Returning Hiring Autonomy to the City of Norfolk

A 47-year-old consent decree, which had governed the hiring practices of the Norfolk Police and Fire Departments, has been officially terminated by a federal court.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia granted a motion by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to end the mandate, which was originally put in place to address allegations of employment discrimination against Black people and women.

The consent decree stemmed from a 1978 lawsuit filed by the DOJ, which claimed that the city’s hiring practices violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. For nearly five decades, the agreement required the city to comply with specific hiring and recruitment guidelines.

In a statement, At

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