Officers for Justice v. Civil S. Com'n, C. & C. San Francisco

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION

Plaintiffs bring this civil rights suit against the San Francisco Civil Service Commission and the Police Commission of San Francisco challenging, inter alia, the hiring and promotion procedures of the San Francisco Police Department. Plaintiffs invoke 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 , 1983; the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution; and provisions of the California state constitution. Plaintiffs invoke this court’s jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 , 1343(3), 1343(4), 2201. Intervening as a defendant is the San Francisco Police Officers’ Association.

Plaintiffs now move for a preliminary injunction suspending the current use of written tests for both hiring and promotion. As an alternative to the current testing procedures, plaintiffs seek the imposition of ratio hiring of whites and minorities until defendants develop and validate adequate written tests. Defendants oppose this motion and move to dismiss the action.

Plaintiffs seek to bring this suit as a class action pursuant to Rule 23(a) and (b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The equitable relief which plaintiffs seek through the present motion will benefit all individuals…