Settlement Structure: Claims Made
Active: Closed
Closed Settlement Statement:
According to court documents, the claim submission deadline has passed. Please contact the claims administrator if you have any questions.
Case Summary:This settlement resolves a class action alleging that Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s criminal background screening policy violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 because it allegedly disproportionately affected African-Americans who applied for employment with WMATA or WMATA contractors, or who were suspended or terminated by WMATA or WMATA contractors.
Docket Number:1:14-CV-01289-RMC
Company: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Filing Deadline: March 8, 2018
Class Period: February 23, 2012 to July 9, 2017
Objection Deadline: March 19, 2018
Exclusion Deadline: March 19, 2018
Final Approval Hearing: December 18, 2017
Proof of Purchase:Long-form claim forms must have verification of loss of income.
Eligibility:You may be a member of the Civil Damages Class if
- You are African-American,
- At any time on or after February 23, 2012, (a) you were denied employment with WMATA or were terminated or suspended from your position with WMATA because you failed a background screening under Appendix A or Appendix C of the Background Screening Policy, OR (b) you were denied employment with a WMATA contractor or subcontractor or were terminated or suspended from your position with a WMATA contractor or subcontractor, because you failed a background screening under Appendix C of the Background Screening Policy, OR (c) you were denied employement with a WMATA contractor or subcontractor or were terminated or suspended from your position with a WMATA contractor or subcontractor, because you failed a background screening under Appendix F of the Background Screening Policy, AND
- You suffered a loss of earnings or employment or other damage as a result.
If you did not suffer a loss of earnings or employment, but otherwise satisfied the criteria of the first two points above, you are still a member of the Appendix A Class, the Appendix C Class, or the Appendix F Class.
You are not eligible if your application for employment was submitted after July 9, 2017.
Typical Settlement Amount:Short-form claims: flat amount estimated at $2,000, depending on how many valid claims are received. Long-form claims: amount depends on various factors, with a cap of $40,000.
Total Settlement Amount: $6,500,000
Class Representative Proposed Incentive Fee:$5,000-$7,500
Law Firms:
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP
NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund Inc.
Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs
Claim Form: WMATA Settlement Claim Form
Case Name: Erick Little, et al. v. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, et al.
Settlement Website: WMATA Settlement Website
Claims Administrator:
Settlement Services, Inc.
Settlement Services Inc.
P.O. Box 10643
Tallahassee, FL 32302-2643
