On February 23, 2018, a federal magistrate judge in the Eastern District of New York granted final approval of the $900,000 class action settlement in Keels v. The Geo Group, Inc., a lawsuit brought by Geo applicants and former employees contending that Geo systematically violated the Fair Credit Report Act in the way it conducted background checks. In addition to securing substantial monetary relief for class members, the settlement involved changes to Geo’s background practices.
More information on the settlement can be found here.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires that before denying or revoking a job offer or terminating employment based on background check results, employers must provide the applicant or employee with a copy of the background check and a statement of rights under the FCRA, and give the applicant or employee a reasonable amount of time to respond. Plaintiffs’ lawsuit alleged that Geo failed to comply with the FCRA, which deprived Geo job applicants and employees of important protections meant to ensure that background checks are conducted in a fair and accurate manner, and are used appropriately.
If you would like to know more about your rights, we would be happy to speak with you. Please email Ossai Miazad, Christopher M. McNerney, or call 516-788-6824 for more information.
(*Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.)
