This week, the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals resurrected a class action lawsuit which alleges that the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) when it refused to hire applicants based on their criminal history reports without first giving the applicants a chance to…
Starbucks has decided to institute company-wide training on implicit bias. The company’s decision came on the heels of an incident where Starbucks employees called the police to remove some black people from the store for doing something that white people do all the time. These black people were waiting for…
This month marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination in Memphis. Dr. King went to Memphis 50 years ago to help black sanitation workers receive fair treatment in the workplace. The City of Memphis treated black sanitation workers far worse than white sanitation workers. White sanitation…
In response to complaints of systemic problems with harassment and discrimination, Uber has fired 20 employees, including some senior executives. The company has also disciplined others and is still investigating additional complaints. This is a major shakeup at Uber, a ride sharing service based in California, that comes shortly after…
An African American man, Russell Lopes, recently won a $4 million jury verdict in a case against the Town of Brockton. Lopes’ attorneys argued that Brockton discriminated against him because of his race when it refused to hire him for a job with the Department of Public Works (DPW) and…
Yesterday, the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers Maine and other New England states, ruled against the Boston Police Department (BPD) in a race discrimination case. The plaintiffs in the case allege that BPD’s use of a hair test to detect drug use has an unlawful disparate impact…
Four current and former Massachusetts State Police troopers have sued the Massachusetts State Police for allegedly engaging in a pattern of discrimination against women and minorities. The four named plaintiffs are three women and one black man. Their lawsuit alleges that the Massachusetts State Police discriminates against women and minorities…
In recent years, lawmakers have debated whether to prohibit employers from asking about criminal history on job applications. Those who want to prohibit questions about criminal history in job applications have used the slogan “Ban the Box” because they want employers to remove “yes” or “no” checkbox questions about criminal…
A recent research study has cast doubt on the theory that the unemployment rates of minorities will decrease if employers cannot screen applicants by credit history. There has been discussion among lawmakers around the country about legislation that would prohibit employers from considering credit history when they hire employees. Some…
This week a federal court in Massachusetts held that a reasonable jury could determine that the Old Colony YMCA subjected an African American employee to racial harassment that created a hostile work environment. The African American employee, Jessika Boone, worked for the YMCA as a caseworker in the YouthBuild program. The…