Court Slams EEOC on Background Check Lawsuit

Last week, a district court in Maryland granted summary judgment in favor of Freeman, Inc. (“Freeman”), a service provider for corporate events, with respect to a nationwide pattern and practice lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”). EEOC v. Freeman, No. 09-CV-2573 (D. Md. Aug. 9, 2013). In its lawsuit, the EEOC … Continue Reading

State Attorney Generals Challenge EEOC Criminal Background Check Lawsuits

By Melissa Siebert on July 29, 2013 Posted in Background Checks, EEOC

As we reported in our July 15, 2013 blog post, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently filed class action lawsuits against Dollar General and BMW challenging those employers’ use of criminal background checks. Specifically, the EEOC alleged that Dollar General’s and BMW’s application of background check policies had a racially discriminatory impact on applicants … Continue Reading

EEOC Files Two Race-Based Class Action Lawsuits on Criminal Background Checks

By Melissa Siebert on July 15, 2013 Posted in Background Checks, Discrimination, EEOC, Retail

On June 11, 2013, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed separate class action lawsuits against two employers – Dollar General Stores and BMW – alleging that these employers engaged in racial discrimination by using criminal background checks to disqualify applicants from employment. The BMW case filed in South Carolina has a 69-person class, and is location specific. … Continue Reading