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"African-American
hair is different from white hair because, among other
things, it is coarser and thicker," Rutkowski said.
"In fact, those properties make it far more likely
to yield a false positive on a hair test than white
hair."
Police
spokesman Michael McCarthy wouldn't comment Wednesday
on the fired officers' claims, saying the department
hasn't been officially notified of the suit.
The
drug testing program has been in place since 1999, McCarthy
said.
If
officers fail the hair test, they can agree to enter
a rehabilitation program and are then subject to random
urine tests. Several of the plaintiffs refused to participate
in such a program.
The
company that conducts the drug tests for the department,
Psychemedics Corp. of Acton, said it has had no complaints
from any of its hundreds of clients.
Last
year, the U.S. Transportation Department and the Pentagon
said they would not use hair, saliva or sweat tests
for federal workers because they were concerned about
fairness.
The
seven officers want their jobs back and their names
cleared, Rutkowski said.
"They
also want compensation for everything they have lost,
including damages for having lost their reputations,"
she said. "They also want this practice to stop."
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