Attorney General Pam Bondi has instructed the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division to drop lawsuits involving police and firefighter hiring practices. These lawsuits, initiated by the previous administration, challenged the use of standard aptitude tests for candidate screening.
"American communities deserve firefighters and police officers to be chosen for their skill and dedication to public safety – not to meet DEI quotas," Bondi stated.
The prior administration had labeled these tests as discriminatory due to statistical disparities, despite a lack of evidence for intentional discrimination. It aimed to enforce DEI-based hiring practices and allocate taxpayer funds for settlements with applicants who scored lower on these tests.
President Trump and Attorney General Bondi aim to eliminate illegal discrimination while promoting merit-based opportunities across all sectors. This is particularly crucial for public safety roles such as firefighters and police officers. They argue that prioritizing DEI over merit in these fields compromises public safety.
The dismissal marks an initial move towards removing illegal DEI preferences in government and private sectors.