INDUSTRY NEWS
D.C. metro to pay $6.5M to settle class action over background checks
The suit claimed that Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)’s criminal background check policy disproportionately discriminated against African Americans.
The suit, initially filed in July 2014, stated that WMATA’s background check policy violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by improperly disqualifying many applicants and employees based on criminal history that was not job-related or that occurred so long ago that it was “irrelevant to any fair determination of employee honesty, reliability, or safety.” The plaintiffs argued that this background check policy had a disparate impact on African Americans.
A federal court in D.C. previously certified three distinct subclasses of African Americans who were allegedly affected by different portions WMATA’s background check policy.
The case is Little v. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Case No. 1:14-cv-01289.
Source: Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, 12/12/2017