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FBI settles $22M discrimination lawsuit with female trainees

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agreed to pay more than $22 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by 34 women who alleged sexual discrimination and harassment at its training academy in Quantico, Virginia. The settlement resolved claims that female recruits were routinely subjected to inappropriate behavior and dismissed unfairly from the academy, in violation of their rights to equal treatment and opportunity.

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Filed in 2019, the lawsuit detailed a pattern of misconduct by instructors, who allegedly made inappropriate comments about female recruits’ appearances, including remarks about their breast size and suggestions that they take contraception to control their moods.

Women were also falsely accused of infidelity and told to “smile more.”

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The lawsuit claimed that these actions created a hostile work environment in which female trainees were judged more harshly than their male counterparts, leading to an unfair rate of dismissal among women.

A 2022 internal FBI report largely confirmed these allegations, lending weight to the plaintiffs’ claims.

As part of the settlement, the FBI agreed to allow the women to resume training, with the guarantee of placement in one of their top three field office choices if they successfully complete the program. In addition, outside experts will be brought in to review the academy’s evaluation processes to ensure gender equity moving forward.

This case is part of a broader reckoning within the FBI, which has faced multiple claims of sexual misconduct and discrimination involving senior officials in recent years.

The $22 million settlement comes on the heels of a $138 million agreement between the Justice Department and survivors of sports doctor Larry Nassar. Survivors accused the FBI of mishandling their sexual abuse allegations.

In response to these mounting issues, the FBI has introduced reforms, including a 24-hour tip line to report misconduct. Currently, men make up about 75% of the bureau’s special agents, reflecting ongoing gender disparity within the organization.

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THE FBI IS SET TO PAY MORE THAN 22-MILLION DOLLARS TO SETTLE A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT INVOLVING ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION AT ITS TRAINING ACADEMY. 

THE LAWSUIT, FILED BY 34 WOMEN IN 2019… CLAIMS THEY WERE DISMISSED FROM THE FBI’S TRAINING FACILITY IN QUANTICO AFTER BEING SUBJECTED TO ROUTINE HARASSMENT AND INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR FROM INSTRUCTORS.

ACCORDING TO THE SUIT, FEMALE RECRUITS WERE SINGLED OUT AND HARASSED WITH INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS ABOUT THEIR BREAST SIZE… FALSE ACCUSATIONS OF INFIDELITY… TOLD TO TAKE CONTRACEPTION TO CONTROL THEIR MOODS… AND THAT THEY SHOULD ‘SMILE MORE.’ 

THE LAWSUIT CLAIMS THE FBI ALLOWED A HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT WHERE WOMEN WERE JUDGED MORE HARSHLY THAN MEN AND TARGETED FOR DISMISSAL. THE ALLEGATIONS WERE LARGELY CONFIRMED IN A 2022 INTERNAL FBI REPORT.

AS PART OF THE SETTLEMENT, THE FBI AGREED TO ALLOW THE VICTIMS A CHANCE TO RESUME TRAINING AND GUARANTEE THEM PLACEMENT IN ONE OF THEIR TOP THREE FIELD OFFICE CHOICES IF THEY PASS. OUTSIDE EXPERTS WILL ALSO REVIEW THE ACADEMY’S EVALUATION PROCESS TO ENSURE GENDER EQUITY MOVING FORWARD. 

THE FBI’S 22-MILLION DOLLAR SETTLEMENT COMES JUST MONTHS AFTER THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REACHED AN AGREEMENT FOR OVER 138-MILLION WITH SURVIVORS OF SPORTS DOCTOR LARRY NASSAR, WHO ACCUSED THE BUREAU OF MISHANDLING THEIR SEXUAL ABUSE ALLEGATIONS. 

THIS CASE ARRIVES ON THE HEELS OF A BROADER RECKONING WITHIN THE FBI, WHICH HAS FACED A STRING OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT CLAIMS INVOLVING SENIOR OFFICIALS. IN RESPONSE, THE BUREAU IS IMPLEMENTING REFORMS, INCLUDING A 24-HOUR TIP LINE TO ADDRESS MISCONDUCT. CURRENTLY… MEN MAKE UP ABOUT 75-PERCENT OF THE BUREAU’S SPECIAL AGENTS.

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