Rachel, a female, is 5’2”, weighs 110 pounds, and is in good health. She wants to be a firefighter with the Middlebury Fire Department. In response to an ad in the local newspaper, Rachel submitted an application for a firefighter position with the Middlebury Fire Department, but her application was rejected by the Fire Department because she did not meet the Fire Department’s minimum physical standards that require applicants to be at least 5’4’ and weigh at least 120 pounds.

Was the Fire Department’s rejection of Rachel’s application proper? How might the Middlebury Fire Department modify its standards to avoid this issue?