U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has ordered the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to dismiss multiple discrimination lawsuits filed under the Biden administration against police and fire departments nationwide.
The DOJ stated the lawsuits targeted departments for using standard aptitude tests during hiring, with no evidence of intentional discrimination—only statistical differences in outcomes.
A case against Durham, North Carolina, claimed black candidates passed written tests at lower rates than white applicants. Similar claims were made against Maryland State Police and departments in South Bend, Indiana, and Cobb County, Georgia.
Bondi criticized the prior administration’s DEI agenda, saying public safety jobs should be based on merit, not quotas. The DOJ called the move a first step in ending illegal DEI policies. A Trump executive order also aims to eliminate DEI programs across federal agencies.
