The FBI says it is committed to fostering a work environment where employees are respected. (FILE)

Sixteen women filed a lawsuit against the FBI on Wednesday, claiming sexual discrimination and accusing it of running "a good old boy network" in its training program, the New York Times reported.

Male instructors exposed the former recruits to a hostile work environment, sexual harassment and inappropriate jokes, according to the suit, the newspaper said.

Seven of the women still work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and some did not use their full names in the suit, fearing retaliation, the Times reported.

According to the suit, the bureau's instructors are mostly men and they penalized and dismissed female trainees at a significantly higher rate than male trainees.

Some of the litigants accused the instructors of making inappropriate jokes and making multiple sexual advances on at least one of the female trainees.

The lawsuit asks, in part, that the bureau review its training evaluation process, pay $300,000 to each of the women for emotional stress, and that it hire more female instructors, the paper reported.

"The real purpose of the suit is to change the culture of the FBI," said the attorney for the women, David Shaffer, the Times reported.

The FBI said in a statement to the Times that it was "committed to fostering a work environment where all of our employees are valued and respected."

Neither Shaffer nor a representative for the bureau could be reached early Thursday by Reuters.