In an article published in The Washington Post on February 27, 2025, Jay Holland was quoted about the move to dismiss a federal civil rights case against the Maryland State Police (MSP). The dismissal was filed by the U.S. attorney’s office in Maryland at the request of the Justice Department. No reason was provided for the dismissal, nor was there an explanation of how Maryland should proceed.
The case at the heart of the dismissal accused the MSP of discriminating against Black and female trooper applicants. The matter was resolved months ago, when the state entered into a consent decree with the Justice Department, agreeing to a $2.75 million settlement and a host of changes. It’s unclear what will happen to the payments or other requirements of the consent decree now that federal prosecutors have moved to end the case.
The alleged discriminatory practices led a group of state troopers to file their own lawsuit against the MSP in U.S. District Court in Maryland. The lawsuit accuses the agency of denying promotions for officers of color, imposing harsher penalties on them compared with White officers and allowing a work environment that subjected them to racist comments. JGL principal Jay Holland represents the police officers in this case, which is ongoing. Holland weighed in on the dismissal of the federal civil rights case.
“It will not affect our case one iota. Whether this new administration has any interest in enforcing our country’s civil rights laws does not affect our interest in doing so for the state troopers who have been victims of illegal discrimination. We will continue to fight for the equal rights of our state troopers.”
Read the full article “Trump administration orders dismissal of Md. state police civil rights case.” (PDF)
