Attorney General Pam Bondi has terminated federal lawsuits initiated by the Biden administration against local police and fire departments concerning their merit-based hiring practices. The Department of Justice (DOJ) under the Biden administration had taken legal action against local first responders for favoring merit in their hiring processes instead of implementing race-based criteria.
The DOJ stated in a press release, “There is no evidence of intentional discrimination—only statistical disparities—yet the previous administration labeled the aptitude tests involved in these cases as discriminatory to promote a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) agenda.”
Furthermore, the release noted, “The administration attempted to pressure cities into adopting DEI-based hiring practices, resulting in the expenditure of millions of taxpayer dollars to compensate previous applicants who scored lower on the tests, irrespective of their qualifications.” Former President Donald Trump had previously enacted executive orders to abolish DEI policies within the federal government. Bondi’s recent decision is part of a broader initiative to dismantle DEI programs under the current administration.
Bondi’s office asserted that DEI policies jeopardize public safety and emphasized that the dismissal of these cases is an “initial step toward eliminating unlawful DEI preferences throughout government and the private sector.”
“Communities in America deserve to have firefighters and police officers selected based on their skills and commitment to public safety, rather than to fulfill DEI quotas,” Bondi remarked. The proposed consent decrees generally recognized that the departments employed neutral selection criteria, including credit checks, written examinations, and physical fitness tests, to assess candidates for available positions. However, it was noted that White male candidates often achieved higher scores or performed better on these evaluations.
For example, a lawsuit filed in October against the City of Durham, North Carolina, claimed “unintentional” discrimination against Black applicants, stating that they did not meet the necessary 70% passing score on the assessments.In a distinct case initiated against the Maryland State Police in October 2024, it was suggested that the agency abandon its existing selection procedures. These procedures included a written examination that required a minimum score of 70% and a physical assessment comprising push-ups, sit-ups, a flexibility test, a trigger pull, and a 1.5-mile run, as noted by Fox.
The proposed modifications aimed to eliminate the former selection criteria and allocate $2.75 million in financial compensation to Black candidates who were not hired due to their written test scores, as well as to women who were not selected based on their physical test results. The Department of Justice (DOJ) indicated that similar lawsuits had been filed against the cities of South Bend, Indiana, and Cobb County, Georgia, Fox further reported.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has been particularly active this month.
The Justice Department has charged an individual in connection with the vandalism of a Tesla dealership and the arson of the New Mexico Republican Party headquarters, according to court documents released on Monday.
Jamison R. Wagner, 40, is facing federal charges related to arson linked to the fire at the GOP headquarters last month and a February incident at a Tesla dealership in Bernalillo. Authorities report that two Tesla Model Y vehicles were set ablaze, with swastikas painted on their windshields and graffiti messages such as “Die Elon” and “Die Tesla Nazi.”
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, who is leading the Trump administration’s controversial efforts to streamline federal agencies through the Department of Government Efficiency and reduce the federal workforce, has been the focus of protests at Tesla showrooms.
This arrest is part of a wider federal initiative to address what Attorney General Bondi has accurately described as an increase in domestic terrorism aimed at properties associated with Musk’s electric vehicle company. Bondi highlighted the arrest during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, emphasizing recent actions taken by federal law enforcement to target vandals attacking Tesla-related locations in recent weeks.
Wagner is also facing charges related to a fire incident.
