City of Lawrence v. Civil Service Commission

The issue presented is whether certain officers in the regular police force of the city of Lawrence (city) met the three-year employment requirement necessary to take a promotional examination for the position of sergeant pursuant to G. L. c. 31, § 59.

*310In 2000, the human resources division of the Commonwealth (HRD) announced a departmental promotional examination for the position of police sergeant in the city’s police department. In a letter dated October 4, 2000, the city’s mayor requested that HRD declare that ten officers listed in her letter were eligible to take the exam. The mayor wrote…