The U.S. Department of Justice has sued the Baltimore County government , alleging “discrimination against African-American applicants.”
It centers around a written test for police officer recruits that the DOJ said was unfairly biased against African-American applicants.
According to the lawsuit, African-American applicants failed the test at a much higher rate than white applicants. This resulted in fewer African Americans being hired as police officers, the Department of Justice wrote in the lawsuit.
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In a statement, County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. announced the police department has discontinued the test. “A law enforcement agency should look like the community it serves,” Olszewski said. “As I have said repeatedly since taking office, I am committed to increasing diversity in the county’s Police Department.”
Olszewski also said he and his new police chief, Melissa Hyatt, are committed to diversity.
“The first part of the exam tested observation skills by having the applicant review a photograph and answer 15 questions about it. The second part had 85 questions on reading comprehension,logical ordering, writing and grammar, and data interpretation,” The Baltimore Sun reported.
The lawsuit claims that using the test amounts to a “pattern or practice of discrimination” against the African American applicants.
Though politics seemed to have gotten in the way of civil right reforms, some observers say, the DOJ insists it is working for change. “A Justice Department official said in a statement that the agency is committed to protecting the civil and constitutional rights of all individuals, and understands the important role the Department plays in helping communities and police departments as they seek to achieve the same goal while fighting violent crime and protecting public safety,’” The Huffington Post reported.
