Target Pays $3.7M to Settle Lawsuit Over Racial Disparity in Use of Criminal Background Checks
Image by Mike Mozart
The Minneapolis Star Tribune is reporting that Target Corp. has agreed to pay $3.7 million to settle a lawsuit over concerns that the way it uses criminal background checks as part of the hiring process has disproportionately hurt black and Latino applicants.
Reporter Kavita Kumar quotes Sherrilyn Ifill, president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund: “Target’s background check policy was out of step with best practices and harmful to many qualified applicants who deserved a fair shot at a good job. Criminal background information can be a legitimate tool for screening job applicants, but only when appropriately linked to relevant questions such as how long ago the offense occurred and whether it was a nonviolent or misdemeanor offense.”
As part of the settlement of the class-action complaint, independent consultants will recommend changes to Target’s current screening guidelines.
Read the Star Tribune article.
