AG Bondi dismisses DEI lawsuits brought against police, fire departments under Biden administration
The dismissed cases mark 'an early step toward eradicating illegal DEI preferences across the government and in the private sector,' the DOJ said
By Elizabeth Pritchett Fox News
Published February 27, 2025 5:54am EST
The Department of Justice has dismissed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) lawsuits brought against various police and fire departments across the country under the Biden administration, which deemed aptitude tests in certain cases as discriminatory.
The lawsuits, which the DOJ said did not show evidence of intentional discrimination, were filed in efforts to require race-based hiring after statistical disparities between applicants of different races and genders.
"American communities deserve firefighters and police officers to be chosen for their skill and dedication to public safety – not to meet DEI quotas," Attorney General Pam Bondi said.
Typically acknowledged in the proposed consent decrees, the departments used neutral selection tools, such as credit checks, exams and physical exercises, to choose candidates for the open positions, and White men tended to score or perform better.
For example, a case filed in October against the City of Durham (North Carolina), alleged "unintentional" discrimination against Black applicants because they did not pass the written test with a score of 70% or better as often as White candidates did, which resulted in fewer Black employees.
The complaint proposed getting rid of the neutral written test and "back pay and/or preferential hiring to Black candidates who were not hired because of the written exam" as solutions. The cost would have been around $980,000 in monetary relief, according to the case.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ag-bondi-dismisses-dei-lawsuits-brought-against-four-police-fire-departments-biden-administration
