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PA State Police To Pay $2.2 Million For Enforcing Fitness Tests That Excluded Female Applicants

Pennsylvania State Police have agreed to pay $2.2 million into a compensation fund for enforcing physical fitness tests that disproportionately excluded otherwise qualified female applicants, authorities announced.

PA State Police

PA State Police

Photo Credit: PA State Police

The U.S. Justice Department announced the proposed settlement Tuesday since initial litigation efforts were introduced in 2014.

The lawsuit alleged that PSP violated Title VII -- a federal law that prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin -- beginning as early as May 14, 2003, by administering physical tests that assessed physical skills not required to perform the job and excluded female applicants, authorities said.

The suit claimed that nearly all male applicants met initial physical readiness tests, but about 30% of women failed.

PSP will pay $2.2 million into a settlement fund that will be used to compensate the women who were harmed by their illegal employment practices.

The agreement also requires PSP to make it a priority to hire up to 65 women who were affected by the prior fitness standards for entry-level trooper positions.

The motion now awaits final approval by the District Court to award the settlement. 

The case was introduced by the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section.

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