After ruling that the Fire Department of New York discriminated against minorities during their entrance exams, Judge Nicholas Garaufis said the amount of money owed to the impacted minorities could surpass $128 million. 

Many of these 2,000 applicants were not hired as a result of their race; while others who did receive jobs within the department may have been hired sooner.  Hearings will still need to be held to help determine just how much each individual will receive.  As a result, the total amount could lower slightly after all of the hearings have been completed. 

The lawyer representing the city of New York does not agree with this estimate.  He believes that any money the city owes, the total will be significantly less than $128 million.  New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, also disagrees with the judge’s decision.  According to local reports Bloomberg stated, “The bottom line is we don’t agree with his decision at all, and it’s only the first step in the process.  You can rest assured we will appeal.”