The Maryland Department of State Police (MDSP) agreed to shell out $2.75 million in back pay to black applicants who failed a simple written test and female applicants who failed a basic physical test.
Because black applicants failed the written test at a higher rate than white applicants, and female applicants failed the physical test at a higher rate than male applicants, the U.S. Department of Justice determined the tests were racist and sexist. Last week, the DOJ announced that it had reached a settlement agreement with the MDSP that included paying those who failed the test $2.75 million in back pay as if they would have been hired had they not failed the tests, and changing the tests so that equal numbers of black applicants and female applicants pass, among other provisions.
The written test, called the Police Officer Selection Test (POST), consists of 75 questions and includes…
