The Federal Bureau of Investigation has agreed to pay $22.6 million to settle a lawsuit filed by 34 women who claim they were wrongly dismissed from the agency’s agent training academy because of their sex. The settlement, if approved by a federal judge, would resolve a 2019 class-action lawsuit alleging that the FBI had a widespread practice of forcing out female trainees. The plaintiffs assert that they were found unsuitable for graduation despite performing as well as or better than male trainees on various tests, and some also reported experiencing sexual harassment and sexist comments. In addition to the monetary settlement, the agreement would allow eligible class members to seek reinstatement to the training program and require the FBI to hire outside experts to ensure fairness in the evaluation process for trainees.
The FBI has denied any wrongdoing but has taken steps over the past five years to promote gender equity in agent training. The lawsuit accused the agency of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits workplace discrimination based on sex. The settlement is seen as a step towards justice for the women involved and as a catalyst for positive changes in the FBI training programs to provide a fair opportunity for women pursuing careers as agents. The settlement comes on the heels of a report on gender equity in the FBI’s training programs and a separate settlement related to the mishandling of allegations of sexual abuse by Larry Nassar.
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