Published
October 2, 2024
Updated
July 29, 2026
This settlement resolves a lawsuit by 34 women who were dismissed from the FBI's new agent training program at Quantico and alleged they were held to harsher standards than men. It is a resolution of those plaintiffs' claims — there is no claim form and no open class for anyone else to join.
Current Status
There is no claim process, no claim form and no deadline. The Justice Department and the plaintiffs announced this $22.6 million settlement on September 30, 2024. It resolves the claims of the 34 women who brought the case after being dismissed from the FBI's new agent training program; it is not an open settlement that other people can file into. Anyone who reads about this case and believes they experienced similar treatment would need to pursue their own claim through the applicable administrative and legal process, not through this settlement.StatusSettled September 30, 2024Resolves the claims of the plaintiffs in the case.
Claim DeadlineNoneNo claim form exists — this is not open to new claimants.
Settlement Amount$22,600,000Approximately $19.4 million allocated to damages for the class members.
Proof RequiredNot applicableNothing to submit; there is no open claim process.
What Was the Case About?
Thirty-four women who were dismissed from the FBI's new agent training program at the academy in Quantico, Virginia sued under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. They alleged that the dismissal process reflected a systematic practice of intentional gender discrimination and that it had a disparate impact on women trainees.According to the plaintiffs' allegations, women were held to unfairly harsh standards, received lower performance ratings for mistakes that were overlooked when male trainees made them, and were washed out through subjective "suitability" criteria that in practice favored men. The complaint also alleged that female recruits were subjected to harassment by instructors, including remarks about their bodies, false accusations of infidelity, and comments about needing contraception to regulate their moods. These are allegations made in the litigation; the settlement resolved the case without a trial verdict on them.
The plaintiffs cited FBI figures showing that women made up 46% of all trainees dismissed from the FBI Academy between 2015 and 2020 while representing only about 25% of trainees overall.
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Who Was Covered?
The settlement covers the 34 women who were parties to the case. It does not create an open class that others can join, and no claim window was ever opened to the public.What Did the Settlement Provide?
The monetary component is $22.6 million, with roughly $19.4 million allocated to damages for the class members. Individual allocations were not made public.The settlement also included non-monetary terms:
• An opportunity for the plaintiffs to resume training toward becoming FBI agents.
• Guaranteed placement in one of their top three preferred field offices for those who complete training successfully.
• A review of the FBI's training program by two outside experts, who are to work with the bureau on ensuring that women seeking to become agents face a fair evaluation process.
Why Isn't There a Claim Form?
Not every settlement that gets news coverage creates a payout anyone can apply for. This one resolved the specific claims of the people who sued, in a case litigated on their behalf. There is no settlement administrator, no notice program and no claim portal, because there is no broader class of people entitled to a share. A settlement of this shape is worth understanding for what it establishes about the employer's practices, not as something to file into.What Happens Next?
The monetary terms were resolved through the settlement announced in September 2024. The remaining obligations are the training-related and programmatic terms, including the outside-expert review of the FBI Academy's evaluation process. No further public claims process is expected.Sources
• National Women's Law Center — announcement of the $22.6M settlement• Cohen Milstein — case study, Bird, et al. v. Garland
• NBC News — FBI to pay $22 million to settle discrimination claims
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Settlement Amount
$22,600,000
Case Title
Bird, et al. v. Garland
Statute
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Plaintiffs
34 former FBI new agent trainees
Announced
September 30, 2024
Claim Deadline
None — no claim process exists
Status
Settled — resolves the plaintiffs' claims
