A mostly white federal jury says the School District of Philadelphia discriminated against a company owned by two white men when it pushed a $7.5 million no-bid contract toward a minority-owned firm that had never sought it.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports the jury entered a $2.3 million judgment on Monday against the district and its late Superintendent Arlene Ackerman.
Security & Data Technologies Inc. says Ackerman gave the surveillance camera installation contract to IBS Communications in 2010 even though SDT had already started preliminary work.
IBS wasn't eligible for no-bid contracts, but SDT was.
A former district official says Ackerman, who was black, said she didn't want ``all these white boys'' to get contracts.
An attorney for the district and Ackerman's estate says they will consider appealing.
