The United States Department of Justice has filed an unopposed motion to dissolve a landmark 1978 consent decree that has governed the City of Norfolk’s hiring practices in its Police and Fire Departments for nearly half a century.

The original lawsuit, filed by the DOJ in 1978, alleged that the City of Norfolk engaged in systematic discrimination against Black and female applicants for sworn positions. According to the complaint, the City failed to recruit these groups on an equal basis with white men, used hiring criteria that disproportionately excluded them without validation, and took no meaningful steps to correct the effects of past discriminatory practices.

The City denied the claims, but agreed to enter into a consent decree that set interim and long-term hiring goals, mandated affirmative recruitment programs, and required compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws. The consent decree required that 20% of new police officers and 30% of new firefighters be Black during the first five years. It also established pathways for the City to seek dissolution once racial representation thresholds of 10% of police officers and 15% of firefighters were met.

In its motion filed July 7, 2025, the DOJ argues that the decree has outlived its purpose. Citing “substantial compliance” by the City and achievement of key employment targets, the DOJ notes that:

• As of 2024, 19% of Norfolk police officers and 15% of firefighters are Black—meeting or exceeding the “50% of interim goal” benchmarks that allow for dissolution.
• Female representation has also grown significantly: from 4% to 10% in police ranks, and from 1% to 11% in fire services.
• The City has implemented broad recruitment and hiring reforms and consistently cooperated with federal monitoring over the decades.
• No disputes have arisen regarding compliance since the decree’s entry in 1978.

The DOJ emphasized that the decree was never intended to operate in perpetuity and that continuing to enforce a 47-year-old court order is no longer equitable or legally necessary. “With no evidence of a current pattern or practice of discrimination,” the DOJ writes, “there is no justification for maintaining a court order requiring any focus on demographic representation as a benchmark for compliance with Title VII.”

The motion underscores that dissolving the decree will not impair future claims of employment discrimination. Individuals remain free to bring new lawsuits if necessary, and the City may continue adopting lawful antidiscrimination policies without federal oversight.

If granted, the motion would mark the end of one of the nation’s oldest active employment-related consent decrees arising from DOJ civil rights enforcement.

Here are copies of the key documents: