The Federal Bureau of Investigation has agreed to pay $22.6 million to settle a lawsuit filed by 34 women who claim they were unfairly dismissed from the agency’s agent training academy due to their gender. The lawsuit alleged that the FBI had a practice of forcing out female trainees, despite their performance being on par or better than male trainees in various tests. Some of the women also reported experiencing sexual harassment and sexist behavior during their time at the academy.
As part of the settlement, eligible class members will have the opportunity to seek reinstatement to the agent training program, and the FBI will hire outside experts to ensure a fair evaluation process for trainees. The FBI denied any wrongdoing but stated they have taken steps in recent years to promote gender equity in their training programs.
Lead plaintiff Paula Bird expressed satisfaction with the settlement, stating that it would bring a sense of justice and create a fairer environment for women pursuing careers as FBI agents. The settlement comes in the wake of a report on gender equity in the bureau’s training programs, as well as a separate settlement over mishandling allegations in the Larry Nassar sexual abuse case. The settlement still requires approval from a federal judge in Washington.
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