Buffalo's police, fire psychologist accused of racial bias

February 28, 2018

Jay A. Supnick, the psychologist who conducts psychological exams for men and women who want to become police officers and firefighters in Buffalo, New York, may be on his way out after complaints of racial bias and inappropriate questions probing applicants' sexual histories.

About a dozen African-American men and at least one women attended a Council’s Civil Service Committee meeting to seek action. About half of them spoke about how they all passed the physical aptitude tests, the drug tests and the polygraph tests, only to be denied jobs for the police or fire departments because of a 10- or 15-minute verbal psychological exam conducted by Supnick. They all felt that there was a racial undertone and that the exam was biased against them because they are African-American.

The Council’s Legislation Committee plans to put Supnick on notice that the city wants to cancel its contract with him and then issue a request for proposals to find a new psychologist.

SOURCE: Deidre Williams, "Complaints of racial bias may oust Buffalo's police, fire psychologist," Buffalo News, 27 Feb 2018, http://buffalonews.com/2018/02/27/complaints-of-racial-bias-in-exam-may-oust-citys-police-fire-psychologist/.