The Trump Administration this week dropped Biden Administration lawsuits against some police departments over their hiring practices for minority job applicants. That includes a suit against the South Bend Police Department.
In October the Justice Department sued the city alleging that its hiring process for entry-level police officers discriminates against Black and female applicants. Specifically, the suit argued that the department uses a written exam that discriminates against Black applicants and a physical fitness test that discriminates against women.
The Justice Department had said the tests “do not meaningfully distinguish between applicants who can and cannot perform the position of entry-level police officer.”
But on Wednesday Trump’s Justice Department dropped the lawsuits. In a statement, new Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “American communities deserve firefighters and police officers to be chosen for their skill and dedication to public safety — not to meet DEI quotas.”
As he did in October, South Bend Mayor James Muller declined WVPE’s interview request Friday. But in a written statement Mueller said he’s “glad the Department of Justice dismissed this baseless lawsuit, which was an inappropriate use of federal power.
The city statement also quotes Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski as saying, “From the beginning we believed facts and common sense would prevail.”
