The FBI has agreed to pay more than $22 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that female recruits were fired in training. regularly followed by teachers with sexual accusations related to her breast size, false allegations of infidelity and taking contraception “to control her moods”.
The payout to 34 women fired from the FBI’s training academy in Quantico, Virginia, is still subject to approval by a federal judge, and will rank among the largest court rulings in the bureau’s history.
“These problems are widespread at the FBI, and the relationships that create them have been studied in academia,” said David J. Shaffer, the women’s attorney. “This case will make significant changes in that relationship.”
It was introduced in 2019 and This was first reported by NBC Newsthe lawsuit alleges that female hires were judged more harshly than their male peers and “targeted for overcorrection and dismissal in tactical situations due to lack of judgment” and subjected to a hostile work environment based on subjective “fit” criteria.
One of the women said she was told to “smile more” and repeatedly had sex. Another said the teacher looked at her and looked at her chest “sometimes licking her lips”.
“Through passive tolerance,” the lawsuit said, “the FBI willfully allowed the Good Old Boy Network to flourish unhindered within the FBI Academy.”
The FBI did not immediately comment on the settlement. Many of the claims in the lawsuit were upheld in 2022 internal guard report. The report found, for example, that women made up 46% of all cadets kicked out of the FBI Academy from 2015 to 2020, although they made up just 25% of the entire cohort.
Despite diversification efforts in recent years, men still make up about 75% of the bureau’s special agents.
Among the stipulations of the agreement was that the FBI would offer applicants the chance to become agents and continue training toward “guaranteed placement,” for those who passed in one of the top three preferred field offices. The bureau has also agreed to a review by outside experts who will work to ensure that female recruits face a fair evaluation process.
Some of the women moved on to other careers, Shaffer said, adding, “The FBI has deprived itself of some truly exceptional talent.”
One of those women, Paula Bird, said she hoped the settlement would lead the FBI to make changes that would “give future female agent trainees a fair shot at the careers they want.”
“My dream was to be an FBI agent,” he said. Now a lawyer, Bird said, “I interned at the FBI in college and did everything necessary to qualify for the role of special agent. I even became a lawyer, which the FBI considers a high value for future agents. When the FBI derailed my career trajectory, it was devastating.”