Justice Dept. Settles Gender Bias Claims Against F.B.I. for $22 Million
- The Justice Department has agreed to a $22.6 million settlement for 34 women who sued the FBI over gender discrimination.
- The lawsuit, filed in 2019, alleged that the FBI unfairly dismissed these women from its agent training program.
- The settlement includes provisions for the women to reapply for agent positions and for an external review of the training program.
In the United States, the Justice Department has agreed to a settlement of $22.6 million for 34 women who alleged gender discrimination by the FBI. These women, former trainees, claimed they were unfairly dismissed from the FBI's agent training program due to their gender, asserting that the bureau employed a double standard in its evaluations. As part of the settlement, the women will have the opportunity to reapply for agent positions, and two external experts will assess the training program to ensure a fair evaluation process. This lawsuit, filed in 2019, highlighted systemic issues within the FBI regarding gender bias. The settlement is pending approval from Judge Jia M. Cobb in the Federal District Court of the District of Columbia, marking a significant step towards addressing the concerns raised by the plaintiffs. Paula Bird, one of the complainants, expressed hope that the acknowledgment of these problems would lead to meaningful changes within the FBI's training and evaluation processes.