Adams v. City of Chicago

A group of Black and Hispanic law enforcement officers (plaintiffs) employed by the City of Chicago (defendant) alleged that the City's promotion methods produced a disparate impact on minority officers in violation of Title VII. The City offered a justification for its promotion practice, and the plaintiffs contended a less-discriminatory alternative existed.

Whether a plaintiff alleging disparate-impact discrimination under Title VII must prove that an available, less-discriminatory alternative practice existed that the employer refused to adopt.