The FBI will pay $22 million to settle a 2019 lawsuit alleging that instructors at the agency's training academy in Quantico, Virginia, discriminated against and harassed female recruits.
The settlement goes to 34 women fired by the academy, the Associated Press reported. reported. The lawsuit alleges that instructors harassed female freshmen and that men at the academy handed down harsh sentences against female freshmen. (Related: FBI tipped off about Trump gunman Ryan Wesley Routh's possession of firearms in 2019, authorities announced)
The settlement is one of the largest in the department's history, according to the Associated Press.
The FBI has agreed to pay more than $22 million to settle a class-action lawsuit in which female recruits were allegedly singled out for termination during training and routinely harassed with sexual comments by instructors. https://t.co/caYDmtHowd
— Associated Press (@AP) September 30, 2024
One provision of the settlement guarantees that the FBI will give plaintiffs the option to continue training to become agents, according to the Associated Press. If the women pass the training, they will be assigned to “one of the top three field offices of their choice.”
“The FBI cannot comment on pending litigation,” the FBI told Caller in a statement. “However, our people are our most important asset. We have taken significant steps over the past five years to further ensure gender parity in the training and development of all our trainees. This includes revised trainee evaluation processes and additional training for training department personnel.” (Related: Justice Department reaches settlement agreement with disgraced former FBI official Peter Strzok)
In 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ) watchdog agency report In response to the lawsuit, he said:[a] A significant number of women reported inappropriate behavior and inconsistent instructor evaluations of trainees based on gender. ”
In addition to its notoriety for failing to protect the United States from terrorist attacks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also has a growing reputation among its top brass as a hotbed of sexual misconduct. read: https://t.co/rDBTmfNtF2 pic.twitter.com/uPnKko9iLx
— Judicial Watch ⚖️ (@JudicialWatch) July 20, 2020
The lawsuit accuses the agency of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits workplace discrimination based on sex and other characteristics, Reuters said. reported.
“These problems are pervasive within the FBI, and the attitudes that created them were learned at the academy,” David J. Schaefer, the plaintiff's attorney, said, according to the Associated Press. “This case will bring about an important and significant change in these attitudes.” (Related: FBI identifies gunman who allegedly tried to kill Donald Trump)
This was announced by the Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General. report In August, he detailed “serious problems” with the FBI's handling of cases of suspected child sexual abuse.
