The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a woman who says her decades-old drug convictions cost her a chance to rent an apartment-a violation of Washington state law. In addition, hundreds others may have been illegally rejected for apartments in the state because of unfair background checks. Washington law says any criminal record older than seven years can’t be counted. The ACLU is now suing the tenant screening company, Yardi Systems, in King County Superior Court, and plans to ask that the case be certified as a class-action. Jonathan Grant, who heads the Tenants Union of Washington State, says his group sees hundreds of cases like this every year but that most people don’t have the means to hire a lawyer. “That’s why this class action is necessary-so that it can spread light on these bad practices, so that people can join that lawsuit and actually take action,” said Grant.
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