Maryland Approves $2.75 Million Settlement in Police Discrimination Case

Maryland state officials have approved a $2.75 million settlement in a federal investigation that uncovered discriminatory hiring practices within the Maryland State Police.

The settlement, approved by the Maryland Board of Public Works on Wednesday, follows a probe initiated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2022 which revealed discriminatory hiring practices affecting Black and female applicants to the Maryland State Police.

In a statement following the settlement, Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat who took office in 2023, said moving forward his administration and the DOJ will “establish a plan” that will “ensure that this will not happen again.”

“Over the past 19 months, we have worked in complete partnership with the Department of Justice to bring this matter to a close and also to establish a plan forward that will ensure that this will not happen again,” Moore said.

Newsweek reached out to Maryland State Police via email on Wednesday for comment.

As part of the settlement, mandate changes will be made to how applicants for Maryland State Police positions are tested after findings showed that a written exam disqualified Black candidates at higher rates, while a physical fitness test had a similar effect on female applicants.

These practices, the U.S. attorney’s office concluded, were in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race and sex, among other categories.

Though the state police department said the discriminatory practices against 48 people were not intentional, the agency has pledged to reform its hiring protocols.

Colonel Roland Butler, superintendent of the Maryland State Police, told the Board of Public Works that discrimination of any form “has no place in the Maryland State Police” and will work closely with the DOJ “to renew commitment to transparency and accountability and to uplift the culture of policing in the spirit of strength and service.”

“We are working closely with our DOJ partners to adopt new testing procedures in accordance with this consent decree,” Butler said.

According to Sarah Marquardt, an assistant U.S. attorney in Maryland who worked on the investigation, the Justice Department and the Maryland State Police cooperated throughout the process of the investigation.

The settlement also requires the state police to hire up to 25 individuals who were previously disqualified by the tests, contingent upon their successful completion of the new screening process.

Meanwhile, the case highlights the importance of equitable hiring practices in law enforcement, said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division.

“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,” Clarke said. “The underrepresentation of Blacks and women in law enforcement undermines public safety and runs contrary to the principle of equal opportunity.”

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.