Maryland State Police are hoping to settle a U.S. Justice Department investigation into alleged racial discrimination by paying more than $2.7 million to those affected.
This is according to an agenda item placed on an upcoming state board meeting agenda.
Details of a possible settlement between Maryland State Police and the Justice Department are private at this time. We don’t know how many people could receive money as part of a potential payout.
We know the DOJ was investigating the agency over allegations of discriminating against current and potential Black troopers.
State police and the Maryland attorney general are seeking to settle rather than move forward with a potential lawsuit.
MSP’s request for $2.75 million is on the Oct. 2 agenda for the Maryland Board of Public Works, as first reported by The Washington Post. That board consists of the governor, comptroller and treasurer.
In 2022, the DOJ announced it was opening an investigation into the police department’s hiring practices for potential violations of Title VII, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, sex or religion.
At the time, U.S. Attorney for Maryland Erek Barron said, “For the agency involved and those who are employed and those who are looking for opportunities with the agency, any fair unemployment practices will cease and, ongoing, there will be fair employment practices for everybody.”
Separate from the DOJ case, some former and current Maryland State Police of color have filed their own federal civil discrimination suit that covers a broader scope of allegations, including unfair promotion policies, retaliation and demotions.
The attorneys handling that claim say they believe MSP seeking a settlement with DOJ is good for their case as well.
“The Department of Justice opens up very few such investigations and the Maryland State Police, out of the many state and local agencies in the country, of all kinds of government, was one that DOJ saw serious issues that warranted an investigation,” attorney Michal Shinnar said. “That was very gratifying to our clients, that it wasn't just what they saw – that this attack attracted the attention of the United States Department of Justice.”
In a statement, Maryland State Police say: “As a result of the investigation that the U.S. Department of Justice opened, State Police have undergone a rigorous and thorough evaluation of its hiring practices. Following careful consideration and negotiations, the Department looks forward to hearing the settlement matter before the Maryland Board of Public Works and will reserve comment until then.”
If the Board of Public Works approves the $2.7 million and all parties agree, the money would go into an account and then be distributed to those who were identified as being affected.
The board is set to vote on Oct. 2.
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