The FBI has settled a class action lawsuit. On Monday, lawyers representing 34 women in a gender discrimination suit against the FBI announced that the agency agreed to pay $22.6 million to settle claims that women were treated unfairly at its training academy. The settlement agreement also allows eligible class members to seek reinstatement into the FBI’s training program.
The settlement agreement will become effective only after approval by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
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“I am extremely pleased that this settlement will bring a measure of justice to the women who were unfairly dismissed,” Paula Bird, a plaintiff in the case, said. “Also, I hope that through this settlement the FBI will implement changes that will give women going through agent training in the future a fair shot at their dream career.”
Christine Webber, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, added, “Through [the women’s] determination and leadership, and what we believe is a genuine desire by the FBI to turn the page on the past history of discrimination in new agent training, the parties have reached a settlement agreement that will provide a measure of relief for what these women experienced.”
The lawsuit was first brought in 2019. In the filing, the women claimed that, due to “gender stereotypes and a culture of sexism,” instructors acted in a discriminatory manner.
The higher-ups allegedly did so by disciplining women and dismissing them from the academy more frequently and for more minor infractions than their male counterparts. Additionally, instructors allegedly singled out women in tactical exercises, because they viewed them as “weak, prone to failure, or not intuitively understanding law enforcement tactics.”
The lawsuit also alleged that some women faced “persistent, graphic, and invasive gender-based and sexual comments” while at the academy. One woman claimed she was told to “smile more.” Another woman alleged that she was told that women need to take birth control to control their moods. A third woman claimed that she was instructed to wear short-shorts and pigtails while doing a mock undercover assignment.
Instructors, the lawsuit additionally claimed, also sought out “derogatory information” about female trainees in order to discipline them.
The FBI has not publicly commented on the lawsuit. However, in 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General evaluated the policies and practices, trends, and patterns for male and female trainees, as well as perceptions of gender equity, at the FBI Academy. According to its subsequent report, the department found that women were dismissed at higher rates than men and identified concerns in the disparity of treatment towards women.
