ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland officials on Wednesday approved a $2.75 million settlement to resolve a federal investigation into discriminatory hiring practices affecting Black and female applicants to the Maryland State Police.
The settlement, approved by the Maryland Board of Public Works, will include changes in how applicants are tested.
Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat who chairs the three-member board, said the federal investigation began in 2022 before he took office last year and that his administration pledged to fully cooperate from the start.
“Over the past 19 months, we have worked in full cooperation with the Department of Justice to bring this case to a close and also to put a plan in place that will ensure this does not happen again,” Moore said.
State police have faced other allegations of discrimination in recent years. Officers previously sued the Maryland State Police for widespread discrimination in promotions and disciplinary actions.
In the current case, the Justice Department alleged that state police used a written test that discriminated against black applicants and a physical fitness test that discriminated against female applicants.
The tests disqualified black and female applicants from the hiring process at significantly disproportionate rates, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office concluded that these tests violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits discrimination in employment based on race, sex, color, national origin, and religion.
The agreement must still be approved by a federal judge.
Col. Roland Butler, superintendent of the Maryland State Police, told the Board of Public Works that the discriminatory practices against 48 people appeared to be unintentional, but that discrimination of any form “has no place in the Maryland State Police.”
“We are working closely with our DOJ partners to adopt new testing procedures in accordance with this consent decree,” Butler said.
Since the governor appointed him to lead the agency last year, Butler said he has worked with his leadership team to modernize the agency’s practices “to renew the commitment to transparency and accountability and to elevate the culture of policing in the spirit of strength and service. ”
“Today we take another meaningful step forward to achieve this goal,” said Butler.
Sarah Marquardt, an assistant U.S. attorney in Maryland who worked on the investigation, said the Justice Department and Maryland State Police worked closely together throughout the process.
In addition to the monetary payout, the agreement also requires the state police to hire up to 25 candidates who were wrongfully disqualified by the previous tests and who successfully complete the new trooper screening and selection process.
“Equal employment opportunity in law enforcement is not only a fundamental civil right, but also essential to ensuring that those who serve reflect the rich racial and gender diversity of the communities they are sworn to protect,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Department of Justice. Right division. “The underrepresentation of blacks and women in law enforcement undermines public safety and violates the principle of equal opportunity.”
