Posted on October 6, 2024

Female, Black Applicants Who Failed Maryland State Police Tests Likely to Receive $2.75M

Candace Hathaway, The Blaze, October 3, 2024

The Maryland Department of State Police agreed to settle a Department of Justice lawsuit to the tune of $2.75 million, which will provide back pay to female and black applicants who failed the physical fitness and written tests.

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The written exam, the Police Officer Selection Test, included four components: mathematics, reading comprehension, grammar, and report writing skills. {snip}

The lawsuit said that roughly 91% of white and 71% of black applicants passed at least once.

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The DOJ argued that MDSP’s screening “results in a disparate impact” on female and black candidates.

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Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general in the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, released a video statement, saying, “Maryland State Police discriminated against black and female applicants by using hiring tests that unfairly and unlawfully excluded them from employment.”

“Under this agreement, the police will adopt new tests, extend priority hiring opportunities to previously disqualified applicants after they complete the new and lawful selection process, and distribute $2.75 million in relief to people unfairly disqualified by the old tests,” she continued. “The underrepresentation of black and female applicants in law enforcement undermines public safety.”

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