The Biden-Harris administration has accused other jurisdictions of discriminating by making law enforcement exams too difficult for women and African Americans.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday announced Lawsuit against South Bend, Indiana. among them Submission to courtthe Department of Justice accused South Bend police of creating a physical fitness test that discriminated against female candidates and a written test that discriminated against African-American candidates, even though the passing rates for both groups were lower than those of male and white candidates, respectively. This is said to be because it was much lower than the . (Related: Blue state authorities ‘ignore’ detainees and release illegal immigrant charged with child rape, ICE says)
“Equal employment opportunity is critical to ensuring that law enforcement does not unfairly exclude qualified job applicants based on discriminatory practices,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clark of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement. There is,” he said. “Discriminatory barriers that deny qualified Black and female applicants the opportunity to become police officers violate civil rights and undermine public safety efforts.”
“The Department of Justice is committed to equal access to employment opportunities in the police department so that all qualified applicants have a fair opportunity to protect and serve their communities,” Clark continued. Ta.
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 15: U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks at a Department of Justice event on June 15, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Since at least 2016, the South Bend Police Department (SBPD) has used a physical fitness test to screen candidates that consists of six activities, including a vertical jump, sit-ups, a 300-meter run, push-ups, and a 1.5-mile run. He pulled the trigger of the pistol, according to the complaint. From 2016 to August 2019, approximately 87.6% of male applicants passed the physical examination, and approximately 45.5% of female applicants passed.
The Justice Department noted in its lawsuit that although the SBPD lowered its physical fitness requirements around August 2019, the failure rate for women remained significantly lower than for men.
The SBPD written exam consists of 120-130 multiple-choice questions divided into a total of seven sections, and applicants must obtain a minimum score of at least 80%. This minimum score was lowered in 2017 from the previous standard of 82%. According to the complaint. However, since 2016, only about 62.8% of African American applicants have passed the written exam, compared to about 84.1% of white applicants. (Related: Texas Attorney General asks Biden administration to help verify citizenship status of approximately 500,000 registered voters)
The Department of Justice maintains that both the physical document and written components are unrelated to SBPD’s job activities.
“The Department is seeking a court order ensuring that the City of South Bend uses only legitimate tests in its entry-level police officer hiring process,” the Department of Justice said in a statement. “The department is also seeking relief, including back pay, for black and female applicants who were disqualified from the difficult exam, and for applicants who successfully complete a new legal selection process. also seeks to provide job openings with retrospective seniority.”
South Bend is the hometown of Pete Buttigieg, who served as mayor, ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, and then became Secretary of Transportation. racial tension I was troubled before City police during Buttigieg’s tenure as mayor.
The announcement of the lawsuit against South Bend comes on the heels of a recent lawsuit by the Department of Justice. settlement agreement In collusion with Maryland State Police, federal prosecutors also accused Maryland authorities of making physical fitness tests too tough for women and writing exams too tough for African Americans.
In a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation, SBPD vigorously refuted the accusations.
“We are extremely disappointed that the Department of Justice has not disclosed how these claims were determined in the first place,” South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski said in a statement. “Our hiring process, which includes female and African-American applicants, has been consistent for the past 10 years, and our department has become increasingly diverse, especially in recent years.”
“We have even asked an external testing company to modify the written test in order to open up the process to more applicants,” Rushovsi continued. “All requirements are listed online and meet state mandates and, more importantly, what our communities expect from professional police officers.”
The city’s official statement also said it was not aware of the lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of Indiana, until Friday’s Department of Justice press release.
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