CORPUS CHRISTI (Kiii News) -
The City of Corpus Christi has agreed to a $700,000 settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the discrimination of women within the police department.
That case focused on a physical ability test that was judged to be unfair to female police candidates.
The government claims that the City discriminated against 59 female police candidates.
The City has said it knew it had a problem, because there are only a handful of female officers on the force. It has since changed its hiring process to get more women in uniform. Still, the City agreed to the settlement deal on the advice of City Attorney Carlos Valdez.
"In order avoid a protracted litigation and additional cost to the City, we've arrived at a settlement agreement that we think is in the best interest of the City," Valdez said.
The Justice Department said it found no evidence that a physical ability test was job-related. It's a test that, since 2005, 59 women have failed to pass. That resulted in them not being able to become an officer.
As part of the settlement, the City has agreed to:
- Stop using the physical ability test.
- Develop an alternative selection device.
- Hire 18 women out the eligible claimants within two hiring cycles.
- Create a settlement fund of $700,000 to provide back pay to eligible claimants.
- Pay all federal, state, and/or local taxes or contributions that normally are paid by employers.
- Take the necessary steps to ensure individuals hired under the settlement are provided whole pensions.
Valdez told Council it will probably take a year for the City to meet the demands of the agreement.
