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’s Office of Civil Rights, 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 was 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 DEI agenda.”
Furthermore, the release noted, “It aimed to pressure cities into adopting DEI-based hiring practices and to allocate millions of taxpayer dollars for compensations to previous applicants who scored lower on the tests, irrespective of their qualifications.”
President Donald Trump had previously enacted executive orders to abolish Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies within the federal government. Bondi’s recent decision represents a significant step in the ongoing initiative to dismantle DEI programs under the current administration.
According to Bondi’s office, DEI policies threaten public safety, and the dismissal of these cases is viewed as an “initial move toward eliminating unlawful DEI preferences throughout the government and the private sector.” Bondi emphasized, “American communities deserve firefighters and police officers selected based on their skills and commitment to public safety, rather than to fulfill DEI quotas.”
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 men 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 required 70% passing threshold.In a distinct lawsuit 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 requiring a minimum score of 70% and a physical assessment that encompassed push-ups, sit-ups, a flexibility test, a trigger pull, and a 1.5-mile run, as noted by Fox.
The recommended 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 hired based on their physical test results. Fox further mentioned that similar lawsuits had been filed against the cities of South Bend, Indiana, and Cobb County, Georgia, according to the DOJ.
This week has been particularly active for Bondi.
On Tuesday, the Attorney General announced that Luigi Mangione, the alleged perpetrator in the murder of a CEO, will face the death penalty as pursued by the Justice Department. Should Mangione be convicted of capital murder, Bondi indicated that she would instruct Matthew Podolsky, the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, to seek the death penalty in this case.
Mangione faces both state and federal charges for allegedly shooting Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, in Midtown Manhattan last December. He has pleaded not guilty to the state charges. Although he has been charged in a federal criminal complaint, he has not yet been indicted on those charges.
Additionally, Bondi announced that the DOJ has charged an individual with bombing a Tesla dealership and is seeking a 20-year prison sentence. She disclosed that Cooper Frederick has been charged with firebombing a Tesla dealership on March 7 in Loveland, Colorado. The FBI tracked down the suspect, who was apprehended in Plano, Texas.
“I have made it clear: If you engage in the wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, we will locate you, arrest you, and ensure you face justice,” she stated. “Today, I am proud to announce that the Department of Justice has unsealed federal charges against another individual involved in attacks on Tesla. All of these cases represent a serious commitment to addressing such crimes.”