The FBI has agreed to a $22 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit involving 34 female recruits who allege they were sexually harassed and unfairly dismissed from the FBI’s training facility in Quantico, Virginia.

The settlement, announced on Monday, stems from accusations that the women faced repeated harassment by instructors, who allegedly made inappropriate comments about their bodies and personal lives.

According to reports from the Associated Press, the female recruits claimed they were subjected to sexually charged remarks, including comments about their breast size, baseless accusations of infidelity, and suggestions that they needed to take contraception “to control their moods.”

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The lawsuit, originally filed in 2019, also accuses the FBI of holding the women to stricter standards than their male counterparts, leading to higher rates of correction and dismissal for subjective reasons such as a perceived lack of judgment in tactical situations.

If approved by a federal judge, the settlement would rank among the largest in the FBI’s history.

David J. Shaffer, the attorney representing the women, emphasized the broader implications of the case. “These problems are pervasive within the FBI, and the attitudes that created them were learned at the academy,” Shaffer stated. “This case will make important major changes in these attitudes.”

The settlement terms include offering the women the opportunity to return to training to complete their path to becoming FBI agents.

For those who pass the training, the FBI will guarantee placement in one of their top three preferred field offices, according to the Associated Press.

The FBI has not yet commented publicly on the settlement. However, many of the allegations brought forth in the lawsuit were confirmed in a 2022 internal watchdog report.

The report highlighted the systemic issues at the Quantico facility, where female recruits were reportedly targeted more frequently for dismissal and faced greater scrutiny than their male peers.

The lawsuit and subsequent settlement come amid ongoing scrutiny of the FBI’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations within its ranks.

In recent years, several high-ranking FBI officials faced accusations of sexual misconduct, according to an Associated Press investigation. Despite the substantiated allegations, many of these officials quietly left the bureau with full benefits.

This lawsuit is just the latest in a series of controversies surrounding the FBI’s internal culture and handling of misconduct allegations.

The settlement represents a significant step in addressing these issues, as the bureau faces mounting pressure to reform its practices and ensure a safer, more equitable environment for all its employees.

As the case awaits final approval, the focus now shifts to how the FBI will implement changes to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

The settlement is expected to bring more attention to the challenges faced by women within the agency and could pave the way for further reforms to address the systemic problems highlighted in both the lawsuit and the internal reports.

The outcome of this case will likely have a lasting impact on the FBI’s training programs and internal culture, as it seeks to restore trust and integrity in its operations.