Case alleging racial bias in hair tests goes to trial

BOSTON (AP) - More than a decade after a group of black former Boston police officers sued the city claiming its hair drug test is discriminatory, the case is heading to trial.

The officers who lost their jobs or were disciplined after they tested positive for cocaine say the tests are unfair because black people's hair is more susceptible to false positives.

They filed their lawsuit in 2005 and insist they weren't using drugs.

Experts have long been divided over the reliability of hair testing due to the difficulty in determining whether the drugs were ingested or were absorbed into the hair from the environment.

But the company that does the testing says its wash procedures ensure only drug users test positive.

The bench trial begins Monday.