The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a “pattern or practice” investigation into the Maryland Department of State Police to examine if the agency had racially discriminatory hiring and promotion practices, officials announced Friday.
The Justice Department is granted the power to investigate state and local employers if it believes there is a “pattern or practice” of employment discrimination. Federal law bars employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin and religion.
The agency said in a news release it had not reached a conclusion about allegations. It said the governor and state police superintendent were informed and had “pledged cooperation.”
