James Davidson
Role at the time: Former FBI agent; president, FBI Integrity Project
Condemned
Statement summary
Former FBI agent James Davidson, president of the FBI Integrity Project, said a history of bestiality can indicate a serious emotional issue and that the FBI's applicant pool is large enough that the disqualifying criterion should not have been eliminated.
“[Bestiality] is clearly a potential indication of a more serious emotional issue. And even in a circumstance where it is not, the pool of candidates should be extensive enough that the criteria should certainly not be eliminated.”
Open source (opens in a new tab)At the FBI, a history of hiring prostitutes or stealing from employer may no longer be a barrier to being hired
Why we used this label
Davidson condemns the policy change on clinical grounds, arguing bestiality can indicate a serious emotional issue and that a large enough applicant pool means the disqualifying criterion should not have been eliminated at all, rejecting the premise that removing it was appropriate even accounting for the victim rationale Patel offered.