abcnews | A man whose bid to become a police officer was rejected after he scored
too high on an intelligence test has lost an appeal in his federal
lawsuit against the city.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York upheld a lower court’s
decision that the city did not discriminate against Robert Jordan
because the same standards were applied to everyone who took the test.
“This kind of puts an official face on discrimination in America against
people of a certain class,” Jordan said today from his Waterford home.
“I maintain you have no more control over your basic intelligence than
your eye color or your gender or anything else.”
He said he does not plan to take any further legal action.
Jordan, a 49-year-old college graduate, took the exam in 1996 and scored
33 points, the equivalent of an IQ of 125. But New London police
interviewed only candidates who scored 20 to 27, on the theory that
those who scored too high could get bored with police work and leave
soon after undergoing costly training.
Most Cops Just Above Normal
The average score nationally for police officers is 21 to 22, the equivalent of an IQ of 104, or just a little above average.
Jordan alleged his rejection from the police force was discrimination.
He sued the city, saying his civil rights were violated because he was
denied equal protection under the law.
But the U.S. District Court found that New London had “shown a rational
basis for the policy.” In a ruling dated Aug. 23, the 2nd Circuit
agreed. The court said the policy might be unwise but was a rational way
to reduce job turnover.
Jordan has worked as a prison guard since he took the test.
