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FAA Air Traffic Controller Hiring Scandal

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2013 FAA Air Traffic Controller Hiring Scandal

The 2013 FAA Air Traffic Controller Hiring Scandal refers to a controversial hiring process implemented by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which led to allegations of discrimination, misconduct, and the improper handling of the agency's hiring procedures. The controversy stemmed from changes in the FAA’s selection process for new air traffic controllers (ATCs), particularly the removal of preferential hiring for graduates of FAA-accredited Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) programs and the introduction of a controversial biographical questionnaire (BQ).

Background

Prior to 2013, the FAA primarily recruited air traffic controllers from three main sources:

Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) Graduates – Students who completed specialized FAA-approved programs in air traffic control at select universities.
Military Veterans – Individuals with prior experience in air traffic control from military service.
General Public – Individuals with no prior air traffic control experience, usually hired under specific public hiring initiatives.

CTI graduates were given preferential hiring status, as they had completed rigorous academic and practical training programs designed to prepare them for the FAA Academy and subsequent employment as air traffic controllers.

Changes in Hiring Process

In December 2013, the FAA announced a significant shift in its hiring practices, citing the need to create a more diverse workforce. The key changes included:

Eliminating CTI Graduate Preferences: The FAA removed preferential hiring status for CTI program graduates, meaning that CTI students would no longer receive priority consideration over general public applicants.
Biographical Questionnaire (BQ): The FAA introduced a new biographical assessment, which was used as the initial screening tool for all applicants. Those who failed the BQ were automatically disqualified from further consideration, regardless of their educational background or prior air traffic control experience.
Opening the Hiring Pool to the General Public: The FAA expanded eligibility to anyone meeting the minimum qualifications, regardless of education or experience.

These changes were met with immediate backlash from CTI graduates, military veterans, and industry professionals who argued that the FAA was prioritizing diversity quotas over merit and qualifications.

Allegations and Controversy

Lawsuits and Allegations of Discrimination

Following the changes, many CTI graduates and military veterans failed the BQ despite having extensive training and experience. Reports surfaced that the BQ contained questions that were irrelevant to air traffic control aptitude, such as applicants’ high school sports participation and attitude toward leadership.

In 2015, a whistleblower lawsuit was filed against the FAA, alleging that the hiring changes were implemented in a discriminatory manner. The lawsuit, led by Michael Pearson, a former FAA employee, accused the agency of:

Deliberately discarding thousands of CTI graduate applications to make way for general public candidates.
Altering hiring standards to meet diversity goals rather than selecting the most qualified candidates.
Leaking the Biographical Questionnaire answers to certain applicants, giving them an unfair advantage in the hiring process.

According to the plaintiffs, they “had legitimate expectations for their hiring after they invested thousands of dollars and years of time to graduate from FAA-partnered academic programs, and pass FAA-designed, peer-validated, and proctored aptitude tests in order to be prequalified for hiring as FAA Air Traffic Control Specialists (ATCS).” Id. at 1 (internal quotation marks omitted). Plaintiffs allege that the FAA violated Title VII when it “purged” its “merit-based hiring preference for Qualified Applicants for Air Traffic Controllers with the intent and purpose of benefitting African American Air Traffic Controller applicants and hindering the Class members.” Id. ¶ 195. The FAA then violated Title VII again when it “implemented” a “Biographical Questionnaire into the 2014 [Air Traffic Controller] hiring process with the intent and purpose of benefitting African American Air Traffic Controller4 applicants and hindering the Class members.” Id. ¶ 198. The plaintiffs claim that in so doing “the FAA refused to accept the outcome of a race-neutral hiring process solely because of the racial makeup of the successful applicants,” id. ¶ 196, and in its place, created a new “race-motivated hiring scheme,” id. at 2. ¹

Leaked Hiring Exam Answers

A 2016 investigation by Fox Business uncovered evidence that an FAA employee, Anthony Foxx, had allegedly leaked answers to the BQ to help certain applicants pass the screening. This raised further concerns about fraud and corruption within the hiring process.

Government and Public Reaction

The scandal led to scrutiny from lawmakers, aviation professionals, and industry organizations. Critics argued that the FAA compromised aviation safety by rejecting well-trained candidates in favor of individuals with little to no air traffic control knowledge.

In 2018, Congress held hearings on the matter, with former CTI students testifying about their experiences and how the FAA's changes had negatively impacted their careers. Some lawmakers pushed for reforms, but the FAA defended its actions, claiming that the changes were necessary to improve diversity in the workforce.

Despite public outcry, the FAA continued to use the Biographical Questionnaire in subsequent hiring cycles, though modifications were made to the process following the controversy.

Impact on Air Traffic Control Hiring

The scandal had long-term effects on the FAA’s hiring practices:

Decreased Interest in CTI Programs: Many students abandoned CTI programs after realizing that their degrees no longer gave them a competitive advantage in the hiring process.
Legal Battles and Policy Changes: Lawsuits and political pressure forced the FAA to reevaluate some aspects of the hiring process, though no complete reversal of the 2013 changes occurred.
Concerns Over Air Safety: Aviation experts warned that hiring less-qualified candidates could compromise air safety, though the FAA insisted that all hires still had to pass rigorous training and certification exams.
The data shows a downward trend in the percent of underrepresented groups entering the Academy when AT-CTI was the primary hiring source. Once the hiring had been opened to the public in 2007, 2008 and 2009, the data shows an upward trend in underrepresented groups entering the Academy from 2008-2011. Much like the other data, the percent of underrepresented groups entering the ACADEMY in 2015 increased significantly from all other years. ²