Maryland police to fork over more than $2 million back pay to female, black applicants who couldn’t pass tests

The Maryland Department of State Police (MDSP) has committed to shell out more than $2 million in back pay to black and female applicants who could not pass state trooper tests as part of a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

MDSP reached a $2.75 million settlement with the DOJ following claims that the MDSP hiring process violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, according to a Wednesday press release from the DOJ. MDSP requires that state trooper candidates successfully complete both written and physical tests, which the DOJ alleged “discriminate” against the black and female candidates who could not pass them.

MDSP’s Functional Fitness Assessment Test (FFAT) required female applicants to do “push-ups, sit-ups, a seated reach, a trigger pull, and a one-and-a-half mile run,” according to the complaint. Of the candidates, 81% of the men could pass the physical test at least once, while only 51% of female applicants were able to pass the test.

The complaint also claims that MDSP’s written test, the Police Officer Selection Test, wrongly “excluded” black applicants since the rate at which they passed was found to be “significantly lower” than the rate at which white applicants passed, according to the complaint.

“Equal employment opportunities in law enforcement are not just a core civil right but essential to ensuring that those who serve reflect the rich racial and gender diversity of the communities they are sworn to protect,” Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke said in the DOJ’s press release.

The settlement still needs to be approved by a federal judge, according to the DOJ’s press release.

“The Maryland State Police is fully committed to meeting the consent decree guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Justice and remains fully dedicated to supporting our sworn personnel, protecting our communities, and serving the people of Maryland,” Secretary of State Police Col. Roland L. Butler said in a Wednesday statement given to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The DOJ declined to comment to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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