2 weeks ago
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The FBI has agreed to pay more than $22 million to settle a sexual discrimination lawsuit that alleged female academy recruits were singled out and harassed.
The payout will go to 34 women who were dismissed from the FBI’s Quantico, Va., training academy. It’s still subject to approval by a federal judge, The Associated Press reported.
The lawsuit was filed in 2019 and argued that female recruits in the FBI were subjected to hostile work environments. They were judged more harshly than male colleagues, were “excessively targeted for correction” and were dismissed in tactical situations for having a “perceived lack of judgment,” the lawsuit alleged.
Women said they were harassed by instructors with comments about their breast size, needing to take contraception to “control their moods,” and false allegations of infidelity. One woman was told to “smile more” and was the subject of several sexual advances and another woman said an instructor stared at her chest while sometimes “licking his lips,” the AP reported.
The lawsuit said the FBI allowed the “Good Old Boy Network to flourish unrestrained” through “passive tolerance.”
The year after the lawsuit was filed, an investigation from the AP identified several senior FBI officials in sexual misconduct claims.
A 2022 report from the Office of the Inspector General evaluated gender equity in the FBI’s training for new agents and found female trainees were dismissed at rates higher than males and there was a “disparity of treatment” that led to underrepresentation.
The FBI later installed a 24/7 tip line and pledged to take more action against agents who have committed misconduct and to help accusers.
Paula Bird, a lead plaintiff in the case, said she is pleased that the settlement will bring "a measure of justice" to the women who were unfairly dismissed from the FBI.
In a statement to The Hill, the FBI said it cannot comment on pending litigation but said "our people are our most important asset. We have taken significant steps over the past five years to further ensure gender equity in the training and development of all our trainees. This includes revisions to our trainee evaluation processes and additional training for Training Division personnel."
The Associated Press contributed.
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