When living in Ohio I briefly worked for a testing company that administered police and fire fighter promotion exams. One part of the exam was a timed running course. All candidates had to run first through a series of obstacles. They then had to race up stairs, hop over walls, and then drag a $175$ pound sandbag to safety. The people with the fastest times were selected to move on to the next stage of the interview process. Members of a protected class were less likely to get good scores on the exam and subsequently claimed discrimination. How could the police and fire departments defend themselves in the event of a lawsuit?

Question $2$ options:

Prove that their availability analysis is correct

Show that they intentionally caused discrimination

Demonstrate that speed and strength are job$-$related